Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0547 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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2		-	~~ENROLLED~~
3		-	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025 ~~Legislature~~
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	3	+	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025
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7	7		CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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10	10		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14		-	1
	14	+	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15		An act relating to medical debt; amending s. 395.3011, 2
16	16		F.S.; revising a definition; providing an exception to 3
17	17		the prohibition of a facility engaging in 4
18	18		extraordinary collection action to obtain payment for 5
19	19		services for the sale of certain debt; providing an 6
20	20		effective date. 7
21	21		8
22	22		Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
23	23		10
24	24		Section 1. Section 395.3011, Florida Statutes, is amended 11
25	25		to read: 12
26	26		395.3011 Billing and collection activities. — 13
27	27		(1) As used in this section, the term "extraordinary 14
28	28		collection action" means any of the following actions taken by a 15
29	29		licensed facility against an individual in relation to obtaining 16
30	30		payment of a bill for c are covered under the facility's 17
31	31		financial assistance policy : 18
32	32		(a) Selling the individual's debt to another party. 19
33	33		(b) Reporting adverse information about the individual to 20
34	34		consumer credit reporting agencies or credit bureaus. 21
35	35		(c) Deferring, denying, or requiring a payment before 22
36	36		providing medically necessary care because of the individual's 23
37	37		nonpayment of one or more bills for previously provided care 24
38	38		covered under the facility's financial assistance policy. 25
39		-	~~ENROLLED~~
40		-	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025 ~~Legislature~~
	39	+
	40	+	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025
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47	47		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51		(d) Actions that require a legal or judici al process, 26
52	52		including, but not limited to: 27
53	53		1. Placing a lien on the individual's property; 28
54	54		2. Foreclosing on the individual's real property; 29
55	55		3. Attaching or seizing the individual's bank account or 30
56	56		any other personal property; 31
57	57		4. Commencing a civil action against the individual; 32
58	58		5. Causing the individual's arrest; or 33
59	59		6. Garnishing the individual's wages. 34
60	60		(2) A facility may not engage in an extraordinary 35
61	61		collection action against an individual to obtain payment for 36
62	62		services: 37
63	63		(a) Before the facility has made reasonable efforts to 38
64	64		determine whether the individual is eligible for assistance 39
65	65		under its financial assistance policy for the care provided and, 40
66	66		if eligible, before a decision is made by the facility on the 41
67	67		patient's application for suc h financial assistance. 42
68	68		(b) Before the facility has provided the individual with 43
69	69		an itemized statement or bill. 44
70	70		(c) During an ongoing grievance process as described in s. 45
71	71		395.301(6) or an ongoing appeal of a claim adjudication. 46
72	72		(d) Before billing any applicable insurer and allowing the 47
73	73		insurer to adjudicate a claim. 48
74	74		(e) For 30 days after notifying the patient in writing, by 49
75	75		certified mail, or by other traceable delivery method, that a 50
76		-	~~ENROLLED~~
77		-	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025 ~~Legislature~~
	76	+
	77	+	CS/HB 547, Engrossed 1 2025
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81	81		CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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84	84		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88		collection action will commence absent additional action by the 51
89	89		patient. This paragraph does not apply to a sale of debt 52
90	90		governed by a contract executed by the facility, which provides 53
91	91		that the debt may not incur interest or fees and that no other 54
92	92		extraordinary collection actions are taken by the purchaser of 55
93	93		the debt which could otherwise be taken by the licensed 56
94	94		facility, as described in subsection (1), and that the debt will 57
95	95		be returned to the facility if the debt buyer determines the 58
96	96		individual is eligible for assistance under the facility's 59
97	97		financial assistance poli cy. 60
98	98		(f) While the individual: 61
99	99		1. Negotiates in good faith the final amount of a bill for 62
100	100		services rendered; or 63
101	101		2. Complies with all terms of a payment plan with the 64
102	102		facility. 65
103	103		Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 66