Gov. Bobby Jindal directed a state crime victim’s board today to pay hospitals, health centers and doctor’s offices for sexual assault victims’ medical exams so that victims aren’t hit with bills that can total thousands of dollars.
As The Associated Press reports, advocacy groups and state lawmakers have called it outrageous and improper to bill rape victims for their forensic medical exams, and they’ve called for changes to state law and health care policies. Jindal’s executive order is a stopgap measure. It’s designed to address the issue until a more sweeping set of changes in the law can be debated in the next legislative session, which begins in April.
Some hospitals don’t seek payment from rape victims for their medical exams, while others treat the victims like other emergency room patients and bill them or their insurance companies for care. The governor’s order seeks to funnel health care providers’ payment claims to the Crime Victim’s Reparation Board. Jindal’s action requires the board to revise its policies so that providers can seek reimbursement for sexual assault exams from the board.
However, questions remain about whether hospitals and clinics will send their payment claims to the board—and about what costs are included in a forensic medical exam.
Jindal’s order also calls on the health department to coordinate a sexual assault response plan for each of the state’s nine regional health districts by Feb. 1, to outline minimum standards for handling rape kits, and to ensure rape victims have access to a medical exam.
