BATON ROUGE (AP) — The Louisiana House unanimously agreed to ban hospitals from billing rape victims for their medical exams.
The proposal by Rep. Helena Moreno, a New Orleans Democrat, would allow health care providers to submit a claim for payment to a victim's insurance company. But the insurer couldn't require a victim to pay a deductible, co-pay or other share of the costs.
The hospital could bill remaining expenses not covered by insurance to a state crime victim's board. A separate measure would tap into unclaimed gambling winnings to reimburse the board for the costs.
Lawmakers in the House sent the measure to the Senate for consideration with a 95-0 vote Wednesday. The bill is part of a larger package aimed at improving treatment for sexual assault victims.
