Letters are now going out from PPOs to their payor clients requesting their help to comply with the new workers’ compensation Colorado law (Senate Bill 79). In these letters work comp PPOs are requesting the following information from their payor clients: (1) where should doctors send the bills (2) where to call for inquiries. The real difficulty in the law is that the injured worker has to present the above information to the medical provider at the first visit.

It is somewhat easy for the PPO to comply with these requirements for direct clients. Yet, it is much more difficult when a reseller such as a medical bill review company is the client of the PPO. For PPOs to follow this law, it is going to take the help of the medical bill review companies and their clients.

This state law, as in so many, once again shows the limited understanding legislatures have of the various layers of workers’ compensation cost containment.