Report: Workforce commission writing new medical billing rules

State regulators in Louisiana are updating the rates medical providers can charge for treating injured workers, according to a report in the Louisiana Illuminator.

Officials from the Louisiana Workforce Commission told state lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday that the medical fee schedule is 27 years old. The outdated fee schedule doesn’t account for new procedures or the trend of more procedures being performed in outpatient settings, according to the report.

Providers can collect up to 90% of what they bill for procedures that aren’t included in a fee schedule, which state Rep. Larry Frieman said could result in overbilling that drives up employer premiums.

At the same time, the out-of-date fee schedule can also result in underpayments for some procedures.

The commission is working with an independent nonprofit to collect medical billing data to update the work comp fee schedule. The agency does not have a timeline for when it will complete the update, but officials said they’re in the first of three phases for the project.

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