House Bill 862 Summary

• Creates the Patient Choice Act of 2017 requiring health benefit plans to reimburse services performed by duly licensed physicians and podiatrists within their lawful scope of practice, effective July 1, 2017

• Prohibits health benefit plans from discriminating against qualified physicians located within the plan's geographic coverage area who meet participation 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 types based on specialty scope of practice and to implement quality and cost control measures equally across all providers in the same class, including gatekeeper systems

• Expands existing provider choice protections to optometrists, psychologists, professional counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, nurse practitioners, and chiropractors by standardizing language across related code sections

• Grants the Commissioner of Insurance enforcement authority using powers under the Mississippi Insurance Code and authority to seek injunctions against health insurers for violations, with exceptions for providers committing fraud or illegal activity