| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to the timely billing of health care services related to a |
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| 10 | 8 | | personal injury claim. |
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| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 146.002, Civil Practice and Remedies |
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| 13 | 11 | | Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding |
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| 14 | 12 | | Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 13 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c) and subject |
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| 16 | 14 | | to Subsection (c-1), a health care service provider shall bill a |
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| 17 | 15 | | patient or other responsible person for services provided to the |
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| 18 | 16 | | patient not later than the first day of the 11th month after the |
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| 19 | 17 | | date the services are provided. |
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| 20 | 18 | | (c-1) If a health care service provider provides services to |
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| 21 | 19 | | a patient that are related to a personal injury claim for which the |
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| 22 | 20 | | patient is represented by an attorney and unless otherwise directed |
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| 23 | 21 | | by the patient or other responsible person, the provider may |
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| 24 | 22 | | satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a) by submitting the bill |
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| 25 | 23 | | to the patient's attorney not later than the first day of the 11th |
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| 26 | 24 | | month after the date the services are provided. |
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| 27 | 25 | | (d) For purposes of this section, the date of billing is the |
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| 28 | 26 | | date on which the health care service provider's bill is: |
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| 29 | 27 | | (1) mailed to the patient, [or] responsible person, or |
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| 30 | 28 | | attorney representing the patient, as applicable, postage prepaid, |
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| 31 | 29 | | at the address of the patient, [or] responsible person, or attorney |
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| 32 | 30 | | representing the patient as shown on the health care service |
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| 33 | 31 | | provider's records; or |
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| 34 | 32 | | (2) mailed or otherwise submitted to the issuer of the |
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| 35 | 33 | | health benefit plan or third party payor as required by the health |
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| 36 | 34 | | benefit plan or third party payor. |
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| 37 | 35 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 38 | 36 | | to a health care service provided on or after the effective date of |
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| 39 | 37 | | this Act. A health care service provided before the effective date |
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| 40 | 38 | | of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the |
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| 41 | 39 | | effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for |
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| 42 | 40 | | that purpose. |
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| 43 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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