Senators amended and advanced a proposal on April 4 that would create a state regulatory framework for the sale of pet insurance, which covers pet illnesses and accidents.
LB296, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Beau Ballard, would, among other provisions, require pet insurers to provide information on waiting periods, claim timelines and exclusions for pre-existing conditions. It would also require training for agents who sell pet insurance.
Omaha Sen. John Fredrickson moved an amendment during debate on the selected record, which passed 28-0, to add provisions to his priority bill, Gordon Sen’s LB256. Tom Brewer.
The provisions would require that the reimbursement rate for a telehealth service be at least equal to that of a comparable in-person health care service if the licensed provider also provides in-person health care services at a physical location in the Nebraska, or is employed by or holds the privileges of medical personnel at a licensed Nebraska facility that provides in-state in-person health care services.
Fredrickson said the importance of telehealth had been made clear during the pandemic, but providers had no incentive to provide such services due to uncertainty over reimbursement rates.
Brewer supported the amendment, which he said would simply ensure that a telehealth visit does not cost the patient more than an in-person visit. He said telehealth has become an essential part of health care in rural parts of the state.
“In some cases, it’s the only way to get health care in remote parts of central and western Nebraska,” Brewer said.
The amendment also included provisions originally proposed by Omaha Senator Kathleen Kauth in her LB640, which would require an off-campus hospital to obtain and use a national claims provider identifier separate from the NPI used by the main campus. of the hospital.
Dunbar Sen. Julie Slama, chair of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, supported the bill and the amendment.
“It was really a team effort from everyone,” Slama said. “This represents a solid compromise and a big step forward in ensuring access to health care, whether you seek it in a very rural and remote part of the state or in an urban area where you simply cannot take it. [time] out of work during the day.
Following the passage of the Fredrickson Amendment, lawmakers advanced LB296 from a file selected by voice vote.
