Several GAFP members report that insurers and third-party administrators are increasingly switching their payment methodology from EFT or check to a credit card or virtual card option, which effectively lowers the payment physicians/practices receive because of the transactional fees that are associated with credit card transactions.
GAFP is consequently encouraging its members and applicable practice staff to monitor the payments that they receive from insurers and third-party administrators.
Georgia law states that, “Any health insurance plan issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2019, between a health insurer or its contracted vendor or a care management organization and a health care provider for the provision of health care services to a plan enrollee shall not contain restrictions on methods of payment from the health insurer or its vendor or the care management organization to the health care provider in which the only acceptable payment method is a credit card payment.”
The Georgia statue also says, “If initiating or changing payments to a health care provider using electronic funds transfer payments, including virtual credit card payments, a health insurance plan, health insurer or its contracted vendor, or care management organization shall 1) notify the health care provider if any fees are associated with a particular payment method and 2) advise the provider of the available methods of payment and provide clear instructions to the health care provider as to how to select an alternative payment method.”
Commercial health insurers that operate in Georgia can make payments using a virtual credit card, but they must let medical practices (and other applicable health care professionals) decide on their preferred method of payment.
Contact Fay Fulton at ffulton@gafp.org or 404-321-7445 with questions.