ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HB 2135: health insurance; assignment of benefits

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Cobb, LD 5

BILL STATUS: Commerce

Overview

Requires certain signatures on direct payments regarding assignment of benefits.

History

An assignment of benefits, with respect to health care, is an arrangement between the patient and their insurance company, by which the patient assigns the right for a physician to receive payment for benefits and requests their insurance company to submit any health benefit payment directly to the physician.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 20-464, a disability, group disability, or blanket disability insurance contract cannot prohibit assignments if an insured assigns payment for benefits to a covered health care provider performing services covered by the contract.

Health care insurers are required to adjudicate any clean claim from a contracted or noncontracted health care provider within 30 days after the insurer receives the clean claim, unless a time period is otherwise specified within the contract. For claims that are not paid within the allowed time period, the insurer must pay interest at a rate that is equal to the legal rate (A.R.S. § 20-3102).

Provisions

1. Requires any direct payment from a health care insurer to the insured be signed by both the insured and health care provider in order for the insured to receive the payment, provided the insured assigns a health care provider the right to receive benefits.

2. Defines health care insurer.

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6. Fifty-fourth Legislature                       HB 2135

7. First Regular Session                            Version 1: Commerce

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