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HLS 26RS-1103 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 357
BY REPRESENTATIVE ECHOLS
WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides for the adoption of a medical fee reimbursement
schedule for workers' compensation
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 23:1034.2(A) and (C)(1) and (2) and to enact R.S.
3 23:1034.2(C)(5), relative to workers' compensation; to provide for the adoption of
4 a medical reimbursement schedule; to require that the fees be based on other similar
5 regional states; to provide for the authority of the assistant secretary to promulgate
6 the medical reimbursement schedule; to require certain duties of the assistant
7 secretary; to provide for the collection of any necessary information and data under
8 certain circumstances; to provide for legislative oversight; and to provide for related
9 matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 23:1034.2(A) and (C)(1) and (2) are hereby amended and reenacted
12 and R.S. 23:1034.2(C)(5) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 §1034.2. Reimbursement schedule
14 A. The assistant secretary of the office of workers' compensation
15 administration shall establish and promulgate a reimbursement schedule for drugs,
16 supplies, hospital care and services, medical and surgical treatment, and any
17 nonmedical treatment recognized by the laws of this state as legal and due under the
18 Workers' Compensation Act pursuant to this Chapter and applicable to any person
19 or corporation who renders such care, services, or treatment or provides such drugs
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1 or supplies to any person covered by this Chapter 10 of Title 23 of the Louisiana
2 Revised Statutes of 1950.
3 * * *
4 C.(1) The reimbursement schedule shall include charges limited to the mean
5 of the usual and customary charges for such care, services, treatment, drugs, and
6 supplies be reasonable when compared to the workers' compensation reimbursement
7 schedule and have similar characteristics of surrounding states. Any necessary
8 adjustments to the reimbursement schedule adopted and established in accordance
9 with the provisions of this Section may shall be made annually and supported by data
10 and information provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection. The assistant secretary
11 shall promulgate the initial reimbursement schedule.
12 (2) The assistant secretary shall have the authority to collect the information
13 and data necessary to calculate the reimbursement schedule. do all of the following:
14 (a) Examine potential administrative and procedural relief for healthcare
15 providers to ensure expedited care and payment.
16 (b) Examine potential processes for paperwork reductions for healthcare
17 providers.
18 (c) Examine potential processes to expand medical markets for more access
19 to patient care.
20 (d) Include and consider any and all additional external stakeholders and
21 partners in calculating the reimbursement schedule.
22 (e) Collect information and data necessary to calculate the reimbursement
23 schedule. The collection of information and data shall be governed by the following
24 guidelines:
25 (a) (i) The assistant secretary shall create a written survey detailing the
26 information requested.
27 (b) (ii) The survey shall be managed by the office of workers' compensation
28 administration in conjunction with an academic institution.
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1 (c) (iii) The information requested shall be based upon data at least six
2 months old.
3 (d) (iv) There shall be a minimum of thirty health care providers reporting
4 data upon which each disseminated statistic is based.
5 (e) (v) No individual health care healthcare provider's data shall represent
6 more than twenty-five percent on a weighted basis of each statistic.
7 (f) (vi) Any information disseminated shall be sufficiently aggregated such
8 that it will not allow recipients to identify the prices charged or compensation paid
9 by any particular health care provider.
10 * * *
11 (5) The office of workers' compensation administration shall report quarterly
12 to the House and Senate committees on labor and industrial relations regarding the
13 rate study and process and the committees shall have legislative oversight over the
14 process.
15 * * *
16 Section 2. The initial reimbursement schedule required by the provisions of R.S.
17 23:1034.2(C) as amended and reenacted by Section 1 of this Act shall be promulgated and
18 take effect on January 1, 2027.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 357 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Echols
Abstract: Provides for the adoption of a medical fee reimbursement schedule for workers'
compensation claims.
Present law provides that the assistant secretary of the office of workers' compensation
administration (assistant secretary) shall establish and promulgate a reimbursement schedule
for drugs, supplies, and certain care, services, and treatments that are lawfully recognized
in this state and which are applicable to any person or corporation that renders these drugs,
supplies, care, services, or treatments.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that the reimbursement schedule shall include charges limited to the
mean of the usual and customary charges for such care, services, treatment, drugs, and
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HLS 26RS-1103 REENGROSSED
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supplies. Present law further provides that any necessary adjustments to the reimbursement
schedule may be made annually.
Proposed law instead requires that the reimbursement schedule be reasonable when
compared to the workers' compensation reimbursement schedule and have similar
characteristics of surrounding states. Proposed law also requires that any necessary
adjustments to the reimbursement schedule shall be made annually and supported by data
and information provided for in present law and proposed law.
Proposed law requires the assistant secretary to promulgate the initial reimbursement
schedule, which shall be effective on Jan. 1, 2027.
Present law provides that the assistant secretary shall have the authority to collect the
information and data necessary to calculate the reimbursement schedule. Present law further
provides the guidelines for collecting the required information and data.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires the assistant secretary to do all of the following:
(1) Examine potential administrative and procedural relief for healthcare
providers to ensure expedited care and payment.
(2) Examine potential processes for paperwork reductions for healthcare
providers.
(3) Examine potential processes to expand medical markets for more access to
patient care.
(4) Include and consider any and all additional external stakeholders and partners
in calculating the reimbursement schedule.
(5) Collect information and data necessary to calculate the reimbursement
schedule.
Proposed law requires the office of workers' compensation to report quarterly to the House
and Senate committees on labor and industrial relations regarding the rate study and process
and requires the committees to have legislative oversight over the process.
(Amends R.S. 23:1034.2(A) and (C)(1) and (2); Adds R.S. 23:1034.2(C)(5))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial
Relations to the original bill:
1. Make technical changes.
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