HB 264-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2021 SESSION

21-0015

05/06

HOUSE BILL 264-FN

AN ACT requiring health care providers to provide cost quotes for non-emergency services.

SPONSORS: Rep. McLean, Hills. 44; Rep. Lascelles, Hills. 20; Rep. Wuelper, Straf. 3; Rep. Marston, Hills. 19

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

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ANALYSIS

This bill requires health care providers to provide a cost quote for non-emergency medical services offered to a patient.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21-0015

05/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One

AN ACT requiring health care providers to provide cost quotes for non-emergency services.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  New Section; Cost Quote for Non-emergency Medical Services.  Amend RSA 151 by inserting after section 12-b the following new section:

151:12-c  Cost Quote for Non-emergency Medical Services.  Any health care provider licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily authorized by the state to provide medical treatment shall provide, upon the request of a patient or the patient's legal representative, an itemized cost quote for all non-emergency services offered, including third party services.  The quote shall be provided within 3 business days of the request, and include all relevant, current procedural terminology (CPT) codes as part of the itemization.  

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2022.

LBA

21-0015

12/23/20

HB 264-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring health care providers to provide cost quotes for non-emergency services.

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [ X ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires health care providers to provide a cost quote for non-emergency medical services offered to a patient.

The Insurance Department states this bill imposes a requirement on health care providers to provide cost quotes in certain situations.  To the extent this increases provider costs, these costs may be passed onto insurers in the form of higher reimbursements.  Increased costs may result in increased premiums, or may result in policy buy downs.  Increased premiums may result in increased premium tax revenue to the State.  

The Department of Administrative Services states the fiscal impact to the State of New Hampshire Employee and Retiree Health Benefit Plan cannot be determined.  The Plan is a governmental self-insured health benefit plan and not a provider of medical services or treatment.  However, the Department is not able to project the longer term impact on the cost of care or the Fund if providers are locked into cost quotes.

The New Hampshire Association of Counties indicates this bill may have an indeterminable impact on county expenditures.  The Association is not able to predict the number or variety of cost quotes requested and cannot determine the fiscal impact on county expenditures.

The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill would have no fiscal impact on the Department.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association was not able to identify any impacts on municipal revenues or expenditures.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Departments of Insurance, Administrative Services and Health and Human Services, the New Hampshire Association of Counties and New Hampshire Municipal Association