00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 203                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to payment or reimbursement of health care insurance claims."                                          
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 21.54.020(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
04            (a)  A [ON THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF A COVERED PERSON, A]                                                   
05       health care insurer shall pay amounts due under a health insurance policy for covered                         
06       services rendered by an out-of-network provider by check made out to both the                                 
07       provider and the covered person as joint payees requiring endorsement by both                                 
08       the provider and the covered person [DIRECTLY TO THE PROVIDER OF                                              
09       MEDICAL CARE SERVICES]. A health insurance policy may not contain a                                               
10       provision that requires services be provided by a particular hospital or person, except                           
11       as applicable to a health maintenance organization under AS 21.86. A health care                              
12       insurer shall reimburse the covered person for payments made by the covered                                   
13       person to the provider if the covered person provides, as part of the claim, clear                            
14       and convincing evidence that the covered person has paid the provider for the                                 
15       covered services. Nothing in this subsection precludes a health care insurer from                             
01       voluntarily making payment to an out-of-network provider in the single name of                                
02       the provider. [IF A HEALTH CARE INSURER MAKES A CLAIM PAYMENT TO                                              
03       THE COVERED PERSON AFTER THE COVERED PERSON HAS GIVEN                                                             
04       WRITTEN NOTICE ELECTING DIRECT PAYMENT TO THE PROVIDER OF                                                         
05       THE SERVICE, THE HEALTH CARE INSURER SHALL ALSO PAY THAT                                                          
06       AMOUNT TO THE PROVIDER OF THE SERVICE.]                                                                           
07    * Sec. 2. AS 21.54.020(b) is repealed.