New Jersey Passes “Surprise Bill” Legislation

New Jersey Pathologists will soon begin to feel the effect of new balance billing rules lawmakers passed, with intentions of protecting patients from “surprise bills.” On June 1, 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the “Out of Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost and Accountability Act.” The new law will go into effect on September 1, 2018.  Once the law is in place, patients will have an arbitration resource to dispute balance bills from out-of-network providers.

Balance billing is when a patient becomes responsible for paying the portion of the bill that their insurance company will not cover. Lawmakers say, “Transparency is one of the main goals of signing the new bill.” Hospitals are now subject to important disclosure requirements. The hospital must list on their website the insurance companies with whom they are in-network.

APS monitors balance billing regulations by state and advises our clients accordingly. We offer customizable billing options to comply with state laws. Please contact your Practice Manager with further questions.