Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3099 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R12745 LED-F
2	2	By: Paul H.B. No. 3099
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to health care information provided by certain
8	8	freestanding emergency medical care facilities.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 241.252, Health and Safety Code, is
11	11	amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(b) A facility described by Section 241.251 shall post
14	14	notice that states:
15	15	(1) that the facility is a freestanding emergency
16	16	medical care facility and not an urgent care center;
17	17	(2) that the facility charges rates comparable to a
18	18	hospital emergency room [and may charge a facility fee];
19	19	(3) [that a facility or a physician providing medical
20	20	care at the facility may not be a participating provider in the
21	21	patient's health benefit plan provider network; and
22	22	[(4)] that a physician providing medical care at the
23	23	facility may bill separately from the facility for the medical care
24	24	provided to a patient;
25	25	(4) any facility fee charged by the facility,
26	26	including the minimum and maximum facility fee amounts charged per
27	27	visit; and
28	28	(5) either:
29	29	(A) that the facility does not participate in a
30	30	provider network; or
31	31	(B) that the facility participates in a provider
32	32	network.
33	33	(b-1) The notice required under Subsection (b)(5)(B) must:
34	34	(1) identify the provider network;
35	35	(2) identify each physician providing medical care at
36	36	the facility who is excluded from the provider network; and
37	37	(3) for each physician described by Subdivision (2):
38	38	(A) state that the physician may bill separately
39	39	from the facility for the medical care provided to a patient; and
40	40	(B) provide the minimum and maximum amounts the
41	41	physician charges for each patient visit.
42	42	SECTION 2. Section 254.155, Health and Safety Code, is
43	43	amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
44	44	read as follows:
45	45	(a) A facility shall post notice that states:
46	46	(1) that the facility is a freestanding emergency
47	47	medical care facility and not an urgent care center;
48	48	(2) that the facility charges rates comparable to a
49	49	hospital emergency room [and may charge a facility fee];
50	50	(3) [that a facility or a physician providing medical
51	51	care at the facility may not be a participating provider in the
52	52	patient's health benefit plan provider network; and
53	53	[(4)] that a physician providing medical care at the
54	54	facility may bill separately from the facility for the medical care
55	55	provided to a patient;
56	56	(4) any facility fee charged by the facility,
57	57	including the minimum and maximum facility fee amounts charged per
58	58	visit; and
59	59	(5) either:
60	60	(A) that the facility does not participate in a
61	61	provider network; or
62	62	(B) that the facility participates in a provider
63	63	network.
64	64	(a-1) The notice required under Subsection (a)(5)(B) must:
65	65	(1) identify the provider network;
66	66	(2) identify each physician providing medical care at
67	67	the facility who is excluded from the provider network; and
68	68	(3) for each physician described by Subdivision (2):
69	69	(A) state that the physician may bill separately
70	70	from the facility for the medical care provided to a patient; and
71	71	(B) provide the minimum and maximum amounts the
72	72	physician charges for each patient visit.
73	73	SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Sections 241.252 and 254.155,
74	74	Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, a freestanding
75	75	emergency medical care facility is not required to comply with
76	76	those provisions until January 1, 2018.
77	77	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.