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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prices charged by freestanding emergency medical care |
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facilities during a declared state of disaster; providing |
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administrative penalties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 254.1555 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 254.1555. DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN PRICES DURING DECLARED |
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DISASTER. A facility that provides testing or vaccination for an |
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infectious disease based on a state of disaster declared under |
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Chapter 418, Government Code, shall disclose the price the facility |
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charges for the test or vaccine: |
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(1) verbally, in an audible and intelligible manner, |
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to an individual before the facility provides the test or vaccine; |
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and |
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(2) on the facility's Internet website. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 254.160 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 254.160. PROHIBITED PRICING PRACTICES DURING DECLARED |
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STATE OF DISASTER. (a) In this section, "unconscionable price" |
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means a price that is more than 200 percent of the average price for |
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the same or a substantially similar product or service provided to |
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other individuals by health care facilities located in the same |
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county or nearest county to the county in which the freestanding |
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emergency medical care facility is located, as applicable, |
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according to data collected by the department under Chapter 108. |
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(b) A facility, during a state of disaster declared by the |
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governor under Chapter 418, Government Code, may not: |
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(1) charge an individual an unconscionable price for a |
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product or service provided at the facility; or |
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(2) knowingly or intentionally charge a third-party |
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payor, including a health benefit plan insurer, a price higher than |
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the price charged to an individual for the same product or service |
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based on the payor's liability for payment or partial payment of the |
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product or service. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter E, Chapter 254, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 254.207 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 254.207. MANDATORY ENFORCEMENT. Notwithstanding any |
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conflicting provision in this subchapter and except for good cause |
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shown, the Health and Human Services Commission shall impose the |
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following on a person licensed under this chapter who violates |
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Section 254.160 or a rule adopted under that section: |
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(1) for the first violation, an administrative penalty |
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in an amount equal to $10,000; |
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(2) for the second violation: |
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(A) an administrative penalty in an amount equal |
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to $50,000; and |
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(B) a suspension of the person's license for 30 |
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days; and |
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(3) for the third violation, a permanent revocation of |
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the person's license. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |