The Indiana Association of Pathologists (IAP), with the support of the CAP, is opposing House Bill 1003, which would burden the practice of pathology and financially favor the insurance industry at the expense of patients.
Pathologists are opposing the bill because it would promote the narrowing or tiering of health plan insurance networks, outlaw contracts that require comprehensive in-network access to health plan enrollees, mandate an expedited time frame for the provision of written estimates to be furnished immediately upon request, and require the public posting by all clinical laboratories of charge and price data for every pathology/laboratory CPT code across all payers, governmental and non-governmental, for inspection.
In opposition, the IAP noted that President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Price Transparency placed the burden to provide pricing information on health plans and hospitals, not physicians or laboratories.
The IAP further noted that: “Without this particular amendment, the State Legislature is proposing under HB 1003 a regulatory requirement on clinical laboratories … that challenges operational practicality, will be financially punitive in implementation, and will be of no value to our patients. The proper role for price transparency resides with health plans and hospitals, not clinical laboratories.”
HB 1003 passed the Indiana House on February 18 by a vote of 66-22 and is now pending in the State Senate.. The CAP will continue to oppose the bill in collaboration with IAP and update members as information becomes available.