The bill would require a hospital to compile and maintain a list of all standard charges for certain hospital items and services and make sure the list is available at all time to the public and updated at least once a year. The list would be required to be displayed in a prominent location of the hospital's Internet website.
The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) would be required to monitor hospital compliance with the bill's requirements by evaluating complaints, reviewing any analysis prepared regarding noncompliance and auditing the Internet websites of hospitals. If HHSC determined that a hospital is not in compliance, the commission would be able to provide a written notice to the hospital, request a corrective action plan from the hospital, or impose an administrative penalty on the hospital in an amount not to exceed $300 for each day in which one or more
violations occurred.
The University of Texas and HHSC indicates any cost to implement provisions of the bill would be minimal and can be absorbed within available resources.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.