State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title17b > Chap319jj > Sec17b-552

      Sec. 17b-552. (Formerly Sec. 17a-392). Limitation of charges. Civil penalty. Regulations. (a) A health care provider shall limit charges for care, treatment, service or equipment covered by Medicare Part B under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as amended, provided to a Medicare beneficiary who meets the eligibility requirements specified in section 17b-551, to the reasonable charge for the care, treatment, service or equipment provided as determined by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. No health care provider shall collect from such qualified beneficiary any amount in excess of the approved reasonable charge. Any violation of this subsection shall constitute grounds for the assessment of a civil penalty in accordance with subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 19a-17. Any complaint alleging a violation of this section shall be made to the Department of Public Health or the appropriate professional licensing board or commission.

      (b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, necessary to administer the program and to determine eligibility in accordance with the provisions of section 17b-551.

      (c) All health care providers shall accept the identification card issued for the ConnPACE program pursuant to sections 17b-490 to 17b-498, inclusive, as a substitute for a Medicare assignment card.

      (P.A. 87-356, S. 5, 10; 87-589, S. 35, 87; P.A. 89-135, S. 3, 6; P.A. 90-230, S. 26, 101; P.A. 91-190, S. 3, 9; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)

      History: P.A. 87-589 made technical change in Subsec. (g); P.A. 89-135 removed language pertaining to the medical courtesy card program and added requirement for health care providers to limit charges to the amount specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and provided for the adoption of regulations; P.A. 90-230 substituted "Medicare assignment card" for "medical courtesy card" in Subsec. (f); Sec. 17-563 transferred to Sec. 17a-392 in 1991; P.A. 91-190 deleted former Subsecs. (c) to (e), inclusive, which had established an advisory committee for the Medicare assignment program and set forth its duties, including the submittal of an annual report to the department with findings and recommendations for modifications to the program, legislation or regulations, and relettered Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 93-262 substituted commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department on aging, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17a-392 transferred to Sec. 17b-552 in 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.