Patients are allowed to maintain negligence claims for the customary charges associated with treating such injuries. While these liens are not considered valid in workers' compensation cases, they may be applied against any medical benefits received by the patient. Anyone found to be liable has one year to pay the health practitioner, hospital, clinic, or other institution. If the lien exceeds fifty percent of the amount due the patient, then the lien will only apply to fifty percent of the amount and lienholders will receive their respective portions of that amount. These provisions are identical to SB 409.
Current law prohibits health carriers from discrimination between eye care providers.
This act strengthens that prohibition. HB 934 as incorporated in earlier versions of this act, had proposed transferring the Division of Professional Registration from the Department of Economic Development to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. That transfer did not occur, although most of the changes designed to facilitate the transfer remain in the act. There are numerous other provisions, many technical, to the various professions covered in the substitute. Some of these provisions transfer authority of licensing boards to the Division of Professional Registration.