H. B. 4711
(By Delegates Canterbury, Walters and Eldridge)
[Introduced February 22, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §33-16-3s, relating
to
establishing a system to reduce the cost of medical care
paid by the private medical insurance companies by providing
incentives to covered policy-holders to obtain treatment in
low cost foreign health care facilities accredited by the
Joint Commission International
.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §33-16-3s, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 16. GROUP ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE.
§33-16-3s. Authorization for treatment in foreign health care
facilities accredited by the Joint Commission
International (JCI); incentives for insureds;
rebate of savings.
(a) Not later than the first day of July, two thousand six, the commissioner shall establish a program of incentives for health
insurers to offer to insureds who elect to obtain medical care or
medical procedures in health care facilities accredited by the
Joint Commission International (JCI) when the cost of the medical
care or medical procedure in the foreign health care facility is
less than the cost of the medical care or medical procedure
available in a health care facility in this country:
Provided,
That the difference in the cost of the foreign health care is equal
to or greater than the total cost of the incentives.
The incentives shall include:
1. Waiver of all copayments and deductible payments;
2. Payment of cost of round trip air fares for the covered
insured and one companion;
3. Lodging expenses in the foreign country for the companion
for the length of the treatment or procedure;
4. Lodging expenses in the foreign country for the covered
insured and the companion for not more than seven days of
convalescence after the treatment or procedure; and
5. Rebate not more than twenty percent of the cost savings
directly to the covered insured.
(b) The commissioner shall propose rules for legislative
approval in accordance with the provisions of article three,
chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, designed to implement the
provisions of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide a system to
reduce the cost of medical care paid for by private insurance
companies by providing incentives to covered policy-holders to
obtain treatment in foreign health care facilities accredited by
the Joint Commission International. Under the bill, if there are
sufficient savings to do so, covered insureds may choose to travel
to foreign countries for medical care and treatment with the cost
of travel, lodging and the treatment paid for by the insurance
company. In addition, the insurance company would reimburse the
insured twenty percent of any savings, pay for the lodging and
travel cost of a companion, and pay for the cost of lodging for
seven days of convalescence.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.