Nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit the emergency physician from uniformly imposing charges from its established charge schedule or published rates, nor shall this article preclude the recognition of an emergency physician’s established charge schedule or published rates for purposes of applying any payment limit, interim payment amount, or other payment calculation based upon an emergency physician’s rates or charges under the Medi-Cal program, the Medicare Program, workers’ compensation, or other federal, state, or local public program of health benefits. No health care service plan, insurer, or any other person shall reduce the amount it would otherwise reimburse a claim for emergency physician services because an emergency physician has waived, or will waive, collection of all or a portion of a patient’s bill for emergency physician services in accordance with the emergency physician’s discount payment policy, notwithstanding any contractual provision.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 445, Sec. 4. (AB 1503) Effective January 1, 2011.)