Georgia Legislation to Address Physician Profiling

Senator McKoon of the 29th District in Georgia has introduced legislation (SB 173) to address physician profiling, a potentially new state/federal issue.

This issue has recently been brought to our attention by ASPS members and medical specialty associations.  It seems that several insurance companies are dropping providers from their networks with very little transparency about the reasons why these decisions are made. SB 173 would establish a physician profiling program to address these and other "profiling" mechanisms used by insurance companies. 

Please note, this activity is being conducted in the private marketplace, similar to what was done in years past with Medicare Advantage.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association and the Georgia Dermatological Society (ASDSA) are supporting the measure. ASPS has also been in touch the new executive director of the Georgia Society of Plastic Surgeons; Hart Health Strategies (ASPS's legislative and regulatory firm in Washington, DC) and Stateside Associates (ASPS's new state legislation and regulation monitoring vendor) – all will be keeping an eye on this issue moving forward.