Amended IN Assembly March 17, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 356Introduced by Assembly Member PatelJanuary 30, 2025 An act to relating to public health. An act to add Section 1272.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health facilities.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 356, as amended, Patel. Facility fees.Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of those provisions is a misdemeanor.This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.This bill would require the department to conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier. The bill would require the department to prepare a report with the findings of the study and to submit that report to the Legislature.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 1272.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.SECTION 1.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.
Amended IN Assembly March 17, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 356Introduced by Assembly Member PatelJanuary 30, 2025 An act to relating to public health. An act to add Section 1272.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health facilities.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 356, as amended, Patel. Facility fees.Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of those provisions is a misdemeanor.This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.This bill would require the department to conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier. The bill would require the department to prepare a report with the findings of the study and to submit that report to the Legislature.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO
Amended IN Assembly March 17, 2025
Amended IN Assembly March 17, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 356
Introduced by Assembly Member PatelJanuary 30, 2025
Introduced by Assembly Member Patel
January 30, 2025
An act to relating to public health. An act to add Section 1272.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health facilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 356, as amended, Patel. Facility fees.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of those provisions is a misdemeanor.This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.This bill would require the department to conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier. The bill would require the department to prepare a report with the findings of the study and to submit that report to the Legislature.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of those provisions is a misdemeanor.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.
This bill would require the department to conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier. The bill would require the department to prepare a report with the findings of the study and to submit that report to the Legislature.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 1272.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.SECTION 1.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1272.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
SECTION 1. Section 1272.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
### SECTION 1.
1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
1272.2. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the practice of general acute care hospitals, health systems, and licensed health care providers that are billing or seeking payment from patients for a facility fee that is not covered by the patients health insurance carrier.
(b) The department shall prepare a report with the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a), and shall submit that report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the imposition of facility fees on consumers by health facilities to maintain high-cost equipment, regardless of whether the consumers receive care using this high-cost equipment.