Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 490	Senate Author:  Hughes et al.
Effective:  9-1-23	House Sponsor:  Harris, Caroline et al.

            Senate Bill 490 amends the Health and Safety Code to require a health care provider that requests payment from a patient after providing a health care service or related supply to the patient to submit with the request a written, itemized bill of the alleged cost of each service and supply provided to the patient during the patient's visit to the provider. The bill sets out the required contents of and the deadline for providing such an itemized bill, authorizes a provider to issue the itemized bill electronically, and entitles a patient to obtain the itemized bill on request at any time after the bill is initially issued. Additionally, the bill provides for disciplinary action by an appropriate licensing authority for violations of the bill and prohibits a provider from pursuing debt collection against a patient for a provided health care service or supply unless the provider has complied with the bill.