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.