Ed. Note: The following is a news release courtesy of Scott Wilk. 

Assembly Bill 658 passed unanimously to allow health care providers to calculate costs for local law enforcement patients, officials said Thursday.

Assemblyman Scott Wilk’s, R-Santa Clarita, Assembly Bill 658 would allow providers of health care services to local law enforcement patients to calculate costs for care according to the most recent approved cost-to-charge ratio (CCR) from the Medicare Program, passed unanimously out of the Senate Health Committee.

“Non-profit community hospitals, like Henry Mayo, are already financially burdened and this measure will ease some costs by updating rates,” Wilk said. “Henry Mayo treats hundreds of inmates in their emergency department and Assembly Bill 658 will ensure they receive appropriate payments for services rendered.”

Assembly Bill 658 is a technical fix the arose from a local issue at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to current law that will allow hospitals to receive adequate payments for services provided to inmates and gives local law enforcement the ability to approve, or not approve, a hospital’s request to use the Medicare and Medicaid Services cost-to-charge ratio when calculating a payment.

Next the bill heads to the Senate Floor.

The 38th Assembly District encompasses Simi Valley, the northwestern section of the San Fernando Valley and most of the Santa Clarita Valley.