If passed, the ballot initiative, proposed by Rapid Hills, S.D.-based Black Hills Orthopedic and Spine Center orthopedic surgeon Stephen Eckrich, MD, would require insurers to accept claims for any provider that meets the insurer’s standards. In South Dakota, inability to find an in-network provider close to home can force patients to drive long distances — in the hundreds of miles — to find a provider, according to Dr. Eckrich.
Twenty-seven states already have a form of “any willing provider” law, which requires broader provider inclusion in health insurance networks, though research shows that “any willing provider” laws offer choice at the risk of running up higher health costs, according to the report.
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