SRC-MKV H.B. 2419 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2419
By: Coleman (Moncrief)
Health & Human Services
5/10/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires nonprofit hospitals or hospital systems to devote a
specific amount of their net patient revenues to charity care and
government-sponsored indigent health care. H.B. 2419 further develops
charity care reporting requirements and requires clarification of charity
care policies of nonprofit hospitals and hospital systems.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 311.045, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Subsection (f) to authorize a nonprofit hospital or hospital system under
contract with a local county to provide indigent health care services under
Chapter 61 to credit unreimbursed costs from direct care provided to an
eligible county resident toward meeting the nonprofit hospital's or
system's charity care and government-sponsored indigent health care
requirement. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 311.046(d), Health and Safety Code, to require
each hospital to provide, to each person who seeks any health care service
at the hospital, notice, in appropriate languages, if possible, about the
charity care program, including the charity care and eligibility policies
of the program, and how to apply for charity care.  Requires such notice to
also be conspicuously posted in the general waiting area, in the waiting
area for emergency services, in the business office, and in such other
locations as the hospital deems likely to give notice of the charity care
program and policies. Requires each hospital to annually publish notice of
the hospital's charity care program and policies in a local newspaper of
general circulation in the county.  Requires each notice under this
subsection to be written in language readily understandable to the average
reader. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Chapter 311D, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section
311.0461, as follows: 

Sec. 311.0461.  INFORMATIONAL MANUAL.  Requires the Texas Department of
Health to annually publish a manual that lists each nonprofit hospital in
this state with a brief summary of the charity care policies and community
benefits that the nonprofit hospital provides. 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2001.