Bill Text: TX HB1973 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to itemized billing for health care services and supplies provided by health care providers; authorizing an administrative penalty.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 69-45)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-09 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB1973 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1973-Comm_Sub.html
| 88R22360 LRM-D | |||
| By: Harris of Williamson, Klick, Frank, | H.B. No. 1973 | ||
| Campos, Collier, et al. | |||
| Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1973: | |||
| By: Klick | C.S.H.B. No. 1973 | ||
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| relating to itemized billing for health care services and supplies | ||
| provided by health care providers; authorizing an administrative | ||
| penalty. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subtitle J to read as follows: | ||
| SUBTITLE J. PAYMENT FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES | ||
| CHAPTER 185. HEALTH CARE BILLING | ||
| Sec. 185.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Debt collection" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 392.001, Finance Code. | ||
| (2) "Health care provider" means an individual or | ||
| facility licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to provide | ||
| health care services or supplies in this state in the ordinary | ||
| course of business or professional practice, including a physician | ||
| or a hospital. | ||
| (3) "Health care service" means a service a health | ||
| care provider provides to an individual to diagnose, prevent, | ||
| treat, alleviate, cure, or heal a human health condition, illness, | ||
| injury, or disease. | ||
| Sec. 185.002. ITEMIZED BILL REQUIRED. (a) A health care | ||
| provider that requests payment from a patient after providing a | ||
| health care service or related supply to the patient shall submit | ||
| with the request a written, itemized bill of the alleged cost of | ||
| each service and supply provided to the patient during the | ||
| patient's visit to the provider. The provider must submit the | ||
| itemized bill not later than the 30th day after the provider | ||
| receives a final payment on the provided service or supply from a | ||
| third party. | ||
| (b) The itemized bill must include: | ||
| (1) a plain language description of each distinct | ||
| health care service or supply the health care provider provided to | ||
| the patient; | ||
| (2) if the provider sought or is seeking reimbursement | ||
| from a third party, any billing code submitted to the third party | ||
| and the amounts billed to and paid by that third party; and | ||
| (3) the amount the provider alleges is due from the | ||
| patient for each service and supply provided to the patient. | ||
| (c) A health care provider may issue the itemized bill | ||
| electronically, including through a patient portal on the | ||
| provider's Internet website. | ||
| (d) A patient is entitled to obtain from the health care | ||
| provider an itemized bill on request at any time after the itemized | ||
| bill is initially issued under Subsection (a). | ||
| (e) A health care provider may not pursue debt collection | ||
| against a patient for a provided health care service or supply | ||
| unless the provider has complied with this section. | ||
| Sec. 185.003. ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY AND OTHER | ||
| DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY LICENSING AUTHORITY. The appropriate | ||
| licensing authority shall impose an administrative penalty against | ||
| a health care provider that violates this chapter in the amount of | ||
| $1,000 for each violation and may also take other disciplinary | ||
| action against the provider for the violation as if the provider | ||
| violated an applicable licensing law. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
