by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - A public hearing on Bill 94 followed with mixed reviews from members of the medical and health insurance community.

The legislation, also introduced by Senator Rory Respicio, would shorten the maximum amount of time from 45 days to 21 days for health insurance companies to process and pay clean claims as well as proposes to raise penalties from 12 to 16 percent for late payments.

Guam Medical Association president Dr. Thomas Shieh testified in favor of the amendment to the Prompt Payment Act. He said, "Now perhaps you can strike a compromise instead of 45 days rather than drop it to 21 days amend it to 30 days, that's something for legislators to toss around and make the amendments there. But I wholly support it simply because services are rendered when services are provided you should be paid promptly."

Meanwhile, Staywell's Francis Santos recommended the withdrawal of the legislation following GMA's endorsement of only three of four health insurance companies, including Staywell, Calvo's Selectcare, and Netcare.

As Santos tells KUAM, "If there's only one company that is guilty of this, let the doctors deal with them directly. There's no need for such legislation if the rest of us are already paying promptly."