Ducey signs bills on medical billing, driving rights, phone tracking

PHOENIX — Arizonans with surprise medical bills will be able to get some state help in getting them resolved. But not until 2019. Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday signed a measure which sets up a review process for those who get hospital bills that their insurance company says come from out-ofnetwork providers. That starts with an informal review which Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said should resolve 94 percent of complaints if statistics from a similar program in Texas are any indication.

If that doesn’t do the trick, there is binding arbitration between the doctor and the insurance company. And the patient’s maximum liability is what he or she would normally owe in deductibles and copays.

Not everyone will be eligible.

The services must have been provided in a hospital that is normally within the network that is covered by the patient’s insurance. It also is limited to circumstances where the patient is not told ahead of time that some services, like anesthesiology or pathology, might be provided by a doctor not within that network.

And only bills of at least $1,000 can be sent through the system.

Lesko said the delayed effective date is to give the state Department of Insurance time to set up the process it will administer.

Driving privileges

Parents who fall behind on child support payments won’t necessarily lose their ability to drive.

Legislation signed Monday by Gov. Doug Ducey provides new exceptions to existing law which says judges must suspend the licenses of those who willfully have not made payments for at least six months. The privileges are restored once the parent again becomes current.

Proponents of the measure, which takes effect later this summer, said that not only does it not solve the problem but it actually can make things worse as the parent loses the ability to earn money.

As approved, the law will allow the person to have a restricted license to be able to go to work or school.

The parent would have to show he or she is employed at least 30 hours a week, has a job or school that is least a mile from home, and can show that the employment or education “can reasonably be expected to contribute to bringing the obligor into compliance with the support order in a timely manner.’’

Cell phone tracking

Arizona is on the verge of having its first-ever rules on what police need to do if they want to track someone’s cell phone.

While tapping the phone itself to listen in requires a warrant, existing law is silent on the use of devices that can trick a phone into reporting its location. This new law will require police to obtain a warrant and spells out under what circumstances a warrant can be issued.

There also is a requirement for the person whose phone was tracked to be notified within 90 days after the surveillance ends, though there are provisions to delay that.

The issue has been under debate following disclosure that several Arizona police department have purchased cell-tracking hardware. And a lawsuit against the Tucson Police Department seeking information about how the equipment is used resulted in disclosure that the agency, in past instances, had not always first obtained a search warrant.