by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Legislation has been introduced mandating the timely payments by health insurance plan administrators to the Guam Memorial Hospital. According to Bill 499, as of June 25, 2012 GMH has $8.1 million in outstanding billing with health plan administrators, and 80% of that is directly due from the plan provider to the hospital. The remaining 20% is due either from the patient or from other party payers.

The measure if enacted into law would require that health insurance companies pay at least 80% within 14 days of the submission of the billing after that time an annual 12% interest fee would be applied.

Francis Santos, associate administrator for Staywell said, "I haven't seen the bill in detail and I'll certainly take a look at that 013106 but I think from any health insurance company perspective of course we want to help our only civilian hospital which is GMH and we of course want and will do what we need to help our hospital."

Selectcare's Frank Campillo said, "I can tell you that our company is one that has continuously made very quick and prompt payments to the Guam Memorial Hospital to the point when several times not only this year, but also last year and the year before that the government of Guam Memorial Hospital has called us to see if we can made advancement of payments so they can meet payroll and several times we have made advancement to the hospital."

Santos and Campillo have not read the bill but plan to review it.