BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 4145 By: Dyson Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a health care provider is required to submit a bill to a patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after providing a health care service, and a failure to comply with this requirement results in the provider forfeiting their right to payment for the service. However, the bill author has informed the committee of concerns raised by some health care providers over parties in personal injury claims using this "timely billing" requirement to avoid paying the provider if the provider submits a patient's bills to the attorney representing the patient rather than to the patient directly, arguing that the attorney is not a responsible person for purposes of timely billing. H.B. 4145 seeks to close this loophole by allowing a health care provider to satisfy timely billing requirements by submitting a patient's bill related to a personal injury claim to the patient's attorney. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 4145 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to authorize a health care service provider that provides services to a patient that are related to a personal injury claim for which the patient is represented by an attorney, unless otherwise directed by the patient or other responsible person, to satisfy the statutory requirement to provide the bill for the services to the patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after the date the services are provided by submitting the bill to the patient's attorney in accordance with that deadline. H.B. 4145 applies only to a health care service provided on or after the bill's effective date. A health care service provided before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 4145
By: Dyson
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 4145
By: Dyson
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a health care provider is required to submit a bill to a patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after providing a health care service, and a failure to comply with this requirement results in the provider forfeiting their right to payment for the service. However, the bill author has informed the committee of concerns raised by some health care providers over parties in personal injury claims using this "timely billing" requirement to avoid paying the provider if the provider submits a patient's bills to the attorney representing the patient rather than to the patient directly, arguing that the attorney is not a responsible person for purposes of timely billing. H.B. 4145 seeks to close this loophole by allowing a health care provider to satisfy timely billing requirements by submitting a patient's bill related to a personal injury claim to the patient's attorney.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 4145 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to authorize a health care service provider that provides services to a patient that are related to a personal injury claim for which the patient is represented by an attorney, unless otherwise directed by the patient or other responsible person, to satisfy the statutory requirement to provide the bill for the services to the patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after the date the services are provided by submitting the bill to the patient's attorney in accordance with that deadline. H.B. 4145 applies only to a health care service provided on or after the bill's effective date. A health care service provided before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, a health care provider is required to submit a bill to a patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after providing a health care service, and a failure to comply with this requirement results in the provider forfeiting their right to payment for the service. However, the bill author has informed the committee of concerns raised by some health care providers over parties in personal injury claims using this "timely billing" requirement to avoid paying the provider if the provider submits a patient's bills to the attorney representing the patient rather than to the patient directly, arguing that the attorney is not a responsible person for purposes of timely billing. H.B. 4145 seeks to close this loophole by allowing a health care provider to satisfy timely billing requirements by submitting a patient's bill related to a personal injury claim to the patient's attorney.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 4145 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to authorize a health care service provider that provides services to a patient that are related to a personal injury claim for which the patient is represented by an attorney, unless otherwise directed by the patient or other responsible person, to satisfy the statutory requirement to provide the bill for the services to the patient or other responsible person not later than the first day of the 11th month after the date the services are provided by submitting the bill to the patient's attorney in accordance with that deadline.
H.B. 4145 applies only to a health care service provided on or after the bill's effective date. A health care service provided before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.