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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to disclosures regarding the provision of laboratory |
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services in certain health care facilities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 324.101(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Each facility shall develop, implement, and enforce |
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written policies for the billing of facility health care services |
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and supplies. The policies must address: |
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(1) any discounting of facility charges to an |
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uninsured consumer, subject to Chapter 552, Insurance Code; |
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(2) any discounting of facility charges provided to a |
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financially or medically indigent consumer who qualifies for |
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indigent services based on a sliding fee scale or a written charity |
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care policy established by the facility and the documented income |
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and other resources of the consumer; |
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(3) the providing of an itemized statement required by |
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Subsection (e); |
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(4) whether interest will be applied to any billed |
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service not covered by a third-party payor and the rate of any |
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interest charged; |
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(5) the procedure for handling complaints; |
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(6) the providing of a conspicuous written disclosure |
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to a consumer at the time the consumer is first admitted to the |
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facility or first receives services at the facility that: |
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(A) provides confirmation whether the facility |
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is a participating provider under the consumer's third-party payor |
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coverage on the date services are to be rendered based on the |
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information received from the consumer at the time the confirmation |
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is provided; |
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(B) informs the consumer [consumers] that a |
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facility-based physician who may provide services to the consumer |
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while the consumer is in the facility may not be a participating |
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provider with the same third-party payors as the facility; |
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(C) informs the consumer [consumers] that the |
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consumer may receive a bill for medical services from a |
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facility-based physician for the amount unpaid by the consumer's |
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health benefit plan; |
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(D) informs the consumer [consumers] that the |
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consumer may request a listing of facility-based physicians who |
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have been granted medical staff privileges to provide medical |
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services at the facility; [and] |
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(E) informs the consumer [consumers] that the |
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consumer may request information from a facility-based physician on |
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whether the physician has a contract with the consumer's health |
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benefit plan and under what circumstances the consumer may be |
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responsible for payment of any amounts not paid by the consumer's |
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health benefit plan; |
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(F) informs the consumer that laboratory |
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services related to the consumer's facility admission, stay, or |
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services may be provided by a laboratory that may not be a |
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participating provider with the same third-party payors as the |
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facility; and |
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(G) informs the consumer that the consumer may |
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request from the facility a list of the names and contact |
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information of the laboratories that typically provide laboratory |
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services for the facility; |
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(7) the requirement that a facility provide a list, on |
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request, to a consumer to be admitted to, or who is expected to |
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receive services from, the facility, that contains the name and |
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contact information for each facility-based physician or |
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facility-based physician group that has been granted medical staff |
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privileges to provide medical services at the facility; and |
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(8) if the facility operates a website that includes a |
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listing of physicians who have been granted medical staff |
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privileges to provide medical services at the facility, the posting |
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on the facility's website of a list that contains the name and |
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contact information for each facility-based physician or |
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facility-based physician group that has been granted medical staff |
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privileges to provide medical services at the facility and the |
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updating of the list in any calendar quarter in which there are any |
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changes to the list. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a disclosure provided to a consumer by a health care facility on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |