MO SB260

Requires health carriers to ensure enrollees incur no greater out-of-pocket costs when receiving services from nonparticipating facility-based providers at participating facilities than they would from participating providers.

Allows benefits to be assigned to nonparticipating providers if enrollees agree in writing, with carriers required to pay providers directly and providers prohibited from balance billing enrollees beyond applicable deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.

Establishes a 30-day negotiation period between health carriers and nonparticipating providers; if unresolved, either party may initiate binding arbitration with the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration.

Requires arbitrators to be American Arbitration Association or American Health Lawyers Association trained, with written decisions due within 45 days; each party may veto two arbitrators from a list of five if no mutual agreement is reached.

Excludes enrollees who willfully choose nonparticipating providers when participating providers are available, and suspends interest accrual under section 376.383 during arbitration and for 30 days after an arbitrator's decision.