Lawndale Tribune AND lAwNDAle News The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - July 27, 2017 New CA Billing Law Rewards Patients for Doing the Right Thing By Rob McCarthy by hospital stays, visits to diagnostic labs Patients covered under a health plan can and imaging centers, without the knowledge no longer be billed for out-of-network fees or consent of the patient. by a hospital, lab or imaging center if the “This means when you go to a healthcare consumer did everything correctly and went facility like a hospital or a lab in your health to an in-network provider. A new California plan network and end up with a doctor who law that took effect on July 1 shields is not in your health plan network, they consumers from surprise medical bills from cannot charge you more than you would facilities that used an out-of-network doctor have to pay for an in-network doctor,” said or specialist. No longer are consumers in an announcement by the Department of privately managed health plans responsible Managed Health Care, or DMHC. for the overcharges. In the event a surprise bill shows up in The California Department of Managed Health Care this month welcomed the patient-protection measure, which state lawmakers approved last year and Governor Free Digital Jerry Brown signed into law. It takes the consumer out of the middle of any billing Delivery dispute between a healthcare facility and a health insurance plan for out-of-network charges, which patients were responsible Herald Publications is now for paying in the past. Consumer groups offering to send you a link charged that the billing practice was unfair. to your favorite community The consumer protections included in newspaper every Friday! The Assembly Bill 72 should reduce surprise emails will also include a list bills for seven in 10 Californians. The law of upcoming local events. won’t end the practice known as “balance billing” for everyone. The new protections Just email us at: don’t apply to Medi-Cal, Medicare or those dd@heraldpublications.com and on a self-insured health plan, according to tell us which local community the state’s healthcare authority. newspaper you’d like. Healthcare consumers with an eligible plan can only be charged for their share of Simple as that and free!!! in-network costs when they remain in their network, regardless of who delivered the care. Surprise bills typically are generated the mail, the DMHC says consumers should file a complaint with their health plan and include a copy of the bill. “Your health plan will review the grievance and should tell the provider to stop billing you,” the state’s healthcare regulator advised. If the health plan takes more than 30 days to respond or a consumer isn’t satisfied with the response, then file a complaint with the department. The department accepts complaints by phone See Billing Law page 8 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................7 Classifieds............................3 Community Briefs...............2 Food.......................................5 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals................................ 6-7 Pets........................................4 Seniors..................................2 Sports....................................8 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 73˚/66˚ Saturday Sunny 75˚/67˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 75˚/67 The Aerospace Players Star in Seussical the Musical A wildly talented cast of 45 community members accompanied by a live orchestra present Seussical at Torrance’s James R. Armstrong Theatre, with a six-night run that began last weekend and will continue on July 27, 28 and 29. The show highlights many beloved Dr. Seuss characters as they sing and dance through whimsical lands. In this photo from “Notice Me Horton,” Angela Asch portrays Gertrude McFuzz and Matt Garber is Horton the Elephant. Photo by John Nolan (cast member).
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