Any willing provider law to pass in AR

It is highly likely that Arkansas will pass so-called “any willing provider” legislation in the very near future. For those of us who thought those days had thankfully passed, do not despair as it is unlikely this will spark a wave of similar ill-conceived moves in other jurisdictions.
The impetus for the new law was the inability of a member of Arkansas’ legislature to obtain care at his facility of choice for prostate cancer. Interesting how these things happen…
While the bill passed both the AR house and senate with overwhelming majorities, and will be signed into law by Gov. Mike Huckabee, it comes at a time when medical trend rates continue their stubborn ways, sitting at three times the overall rate of inflation. While a nice idea, practically speaking, “any willing provider” laws fly in the face of mounting evidence as to the importance and significant positive impact of the “right provider”. They also remove the “volume v. discounts” incentive used by managed care plans to convince providers to participate.