HB 1207 - The Patient Choice Act of 2016

• Requires health benefit plans to reimburse insured individuals for services performed by duly licensed physicians or podiatrists if the plan covers those services, effective July 1, 2016.

• Prohibits health benefit plans from discriminating against qualified physicians located within the plan's geographic coverage area who meet the plan's terms and conditions, with notification of acceptance required within 60 days of completed application.

• Allows health benefit plans to maintain different reimbursement rates for different physician specialties and to implement quality control measures such as gatekeeper systems, provided such measures are applied equally to all providers in the same class.

• Extends similar patient choice protections to optometrists, psychologists, professional counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, nurse practitioners, and chiropractors by amending existing code sections.

• Grants the Commissioner of Insurance authority to enforce the article using powers granted under the Mississippi Insurance Code and the ability to seek injunctions against non-compliant health insurers.