Senate Bill 476 Summary

• Amends G.S. 8-58.1 to establish rules for calculating medical charges in civil proceedings when injured parties have health insurance, with the evidence of charges being the amount paid by all sources if insurance is filed and no lien is asserted.

• Creates a new requirement in G.S. 44-49(b) that medical liens are invalid unless health care providers timely submit claims to the injured party's health insurer or health plan within the allotted time requirements.

• Adds two new unfair insurance practices to G.S. 58-63-15: attempting to calculate health care provider charges by any method other than G.S. 8-58.1, and attempting to calculate medical provider charges for purposes outside court actions using methods other than G.S. 8-58.1.

• Applies to all civil actions pending on or after the effective date when the act becomes law.