58C03772273E38418725857500656849 Hearing Summary

Senator Fields, bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 20-188.  The bill requires that health care facilities issue clear itemized statements or bills to patients beginning January 1, 2021.  Specifically, these documents must:

• be issued within 30 days of a patient's discharge or within seven days of a written request;
• not describe a billed charge with only medical billing codes, drug codes, or general terms, such as "miscellaneous charges;"
• list specific services received and charges incurred;
• denote which charges are paid or outstanding, including the due date and amount expected from the patient;
• include services that may be billed separately;
• specifically identify types of therapy received; and
• display a telephone number for resolving billing disputes.

Health care facilities must also establish policies for responding to patients' questions regarding itemized statements or bills, and must respond to questions within seven days.  They are prohibited from charging a patient for preparation of the itemized statements or bills.

The State Board of Health, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Insurance and the Division of Professions and Occupations in the Department of Regulatory Agencies, must adopt rules that specify the contents of these documents, a patient's rights and payment obligations, and disclosure requirements of health care facilities.

There was no in-person or written testimony on this bill.