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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to itemized billing for health care services and supplies |
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provided by health care providers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 185.001(2), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(2) "Health care provider" means an individual or [a] |
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facility licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to provide |
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health care services or supplies in this state in the ordinary |
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course of business, including a physician, nurse practitioner, |
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physician assistant, or hospital [, except the term does not |
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include a federally-qualified health center, as defined by 42 |
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U.S.C. Section 1396d(l)(2)(B)]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 185.002, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsection |
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(c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (c-1), a [A] health |
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care provider may issue the itemized bill: |
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(1) electronically, including through a patient |
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portal on the provider's Internet website; |
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(2) through a hard copy delivered by mail or a common |
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carrier; or |
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(3) through a hard copy the patient or the patient's |
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designee obtains at the provider's place of business. |
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(c-1) A health care provider that issues an itemized bill to |
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a patient electronically through a patient portal under Subsection |
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(c)(1) shall: |
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(1) determine whether the patient has created a |
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patient profile on the portal; and |
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(2) if the health care provider determines that the |
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patient has not created a patient profile, mail a copy of the |
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itemized bill to the patient as described by Subsection (c)(2). |
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(d) A patient is entitled to obtain from the health care |
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provider an itemized bill: |
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(1) on request at any time after the itemized bill is |
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initially issued under Subsection (a); and |
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(2) through the patient's chosen method of issuance in |
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accordance with Subsection (c). |
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SECTION 3. Section 185.003, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 185.003. DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY LICENSING |
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AUTHORITY. The appropriate licensing authority shall take |
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disciplinary action against a health care [the] provider that |
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violates this chapter [for the violation] as if the provider |
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violated an applicable licensing law. |
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SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 185.001, Health and |
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Safety Code, as amended by this Act, a health care provider, as |
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defined by that section, that was not subject to the requirements of |
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Chapter 185, Health and Safety Code, before the effective date of |
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this Act is not required to comply with the requirements of that |
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chapter before January 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 5. Section 185.002, Health and Safety Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies only to an itemized bill issued on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. An itemized bill issued before |
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the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
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the date the itemized bill was issued, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |