Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 17, 2008.

The New Jersey Senate on Monday approved legislation that would require physicians at outpatient surgery centers to inform patients about how their services will be billed and whether the doctors have any financial interests in a referral to such centers, the Bergen Record reports. Under the bill — sponsored by Senate President Richard Codey (D) — physicians would be required to notify patients in writing if they have any financial interest in a referred surgery center and whether the care would be billed as out-of-network services…  Click title to read more…

The bill includes exemptions for new surgery centers that are jointly owned by hospitals and physicians and protects centers for past violations of self-referrals. The legislation clarifies another bill sponsored by Codey requiring ownership stake disclosure. The Assembly is expected to vote on the measure in January. A separate bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Gordon (D) requiring better accountability and transparency at surgery centers was released from a Senate committee on Monday (Layton, Bergen Record, 12/15).