Health insurance; provider contracts; business practices;penalties. Prohibits a carrier from unilaterally amending a providercontract or any material provision, addenda, schedule, exhibit, or policy thereto,as it relates to any material provision that was agreed to or accepted by theprovider in the previous 12-month period. The measure requires such anamendment to be agreed to by the provider in a signed written amendment to theprovider contract. The measure defines a material provision of a providercontract as any policy manual, coverage guideline, edit, multiple procedurelogic, or audit procedure that (i) decreases the provider's payment orcompensation, (ii) limits an enrollee's access to covered services under hishealth plan, or (iii) changes the administrative procedures applicable to aprovider contract in a way that may reasonably be expected to significantlyincrease the provider's administrative expense. The measure requires carriers topermit a provider to determine the carrier's policies regarding the use ofedits or multiple procedure logic. The measure requires carriers to provide,for each health plan in which the provider participates or is proposed toparticipate, a complete fee schedule for all health care services includedunder the provider contract with the provider in writing and to make themavailable in machine-readable electronic format. The measure requires carriersto permit a provider a minimum of one year from the date a health care serviceis rendered to submit a claim for payment. The measure also (a) requires theState Corporation Commission to assist providers and to examine and investigateprovider complaints and inquiries relating to an alleged or suspected failure bya carrier to comply with required minimum fair business standards, (b) requiresthe Commission to provide a determination of whether a carrier has failed tocomply with these standards within 60 days of receipt of a provider's complaintor inquiry, (c) authorizes the Commission to determine whether a person'spractices comply with these standards, (d) subjects a person that refuses orfails to provide information in a timely manner to the Commission toenforcement and penalty provisions, and (e) authorizes the Commission to imposepenalties or issue a cease and desist order to a carrier that fails to complywith these standards.
Sponsored bills
Safety belt system use in motor vehicles. Requires all occupants of motor vehicles to utilize a safety belt system. Current law requires the use of safety belts only by (i) occupants under the age of 18, (ii) drivers, and (iii) passengers 18 years of age or older occupying the front seat. The bill changes a violation of safety belt system requirements from a secondary offense to a primary offense.
Commending William H. Goodwin, Jr.
Standards and criteria for congressional andstate legislative districts. Provides criteria by which congressionaland state legislative districts are to be drawn, including equalpopulation, racial and ethnic fairness, protection of racial andlanguage minorities to participate and elect a preferred candidate,contiguity, and compactness.
Earned paid sick time. Requires public and private employers with 25 or more employees to provide those employees with earned paid sick time. The measure provides for an employee to earn at least one hour of paid sick leave benefit for every 30 hours worked. An employee shall not use more than 40 hours of earned paid sick time in a year, unless the employer selects a higher limit. Employees shall not be entitled to use accrued earned paid sick time until the ninetieth calendar day following commencement of their employment, unless otherwise permitted by the employer. The bill provides that earned paid sick time may be used (i) for an employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; an employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care; (ii) to provide care to a family member under similar circumstances; (iii) when there is a closure of the employee's place of business or the employee's child's school or place of care due to a public health emergency; or (iv) when an employee's or employee's family member's presence in the community may jeopardize the health of others because of their exposure to a communicable disease. The bill authorizes the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, in the case of a knowing violation, to subject an employer to a civil penalty not to exceed $150 for the first violation, $300 for the second violation, and $500 for each successive violation, if the second or successive violation occurs within two years of the previous violation. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry may institute proceedings on behalf of an employee to enforce compliance with this measure and to collect specified amounts from the employer, which shall be awarded to the employee. Alternatively, an aggrieved employee is authorized to bring a civil action against the employer in which he may recover double the amount of any unpaid earned sick time and the amount of any actual damages suffered as the result of the employer's violation. The measure also prohibits an employer of any size from discharging an employee for taking unpaid absences totaling more than 16 hours in a year for a purpose described in clauses (i) through (iv). The measure has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill was incorporated into SB 481.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.
Collective bargaining for public employees.Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by publicemployees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board,which will determine appropriate bargaining units and provide forcertification and decertification elections for exclusive bargainingrepresentatives of state employees and local government employees.The measure requires public employers and employee organizationsthat are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonabletimes to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, andother terms and conditions of employment. The measure repeals a provisionenacted in 2013 that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organizationto represent employees, the right of an individual employee to voteby secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteedfrom infringement.
Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.
Lottery; repeal prohibition of Internet sales of lottery tickets. Authorizes the Lottery to sell tickets over the Internet. Under current law, it is prohibited from doing so. This bill was incorporated into SB 922.
Voter registration; automatic voter registration. Provides for the automatic electronic transmission by the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department of Elections of certain information for any person coming into an office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or accessing its website in order to (i) apply for, replace, or renew a driver's license; (ii) apply for, replace, or renew a special identification card; or (iii) change an address on an existing driver's license or special identification card if the person indicates that he is a United States citizen and is 17 years of age or older and, at the time of the transaction, does not decline to have his information transmitted to the Department of Elections for voter registration purposes. The option to decline to have his information so transmitted shall be presented at the time of one of the specified transactions with the Department of Motor Vehicles and shall be accompanied by a warning that intentionally making a materially false statement during the transaction is punishable under Virginia law as a felony. Upon receipt of the information collected to ensure that the person meets all voter registration eligibility requirements, the Department of Elections is required to determine whether the person is already registered to vote. If the person is not already registered to vote, the Department of Elections is required to transmit the information to the appropriate general registrar. The bill repeals the requirement that the Department of Motor Vehicles offer, accept, receive, and send voter registration applications. This bill was incorporated into SB 219.