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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility for hospital charity care. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 311.031(11), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(11) "Hospital eligibility system" means the |
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financial criteria and procedure used by a hospital to determine if |
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a patient is eligible for charity care. The system shall include |
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income levels and means testing indexed to the federal poverty |
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guidelines; provided, however, that a hospital may not establish |
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an eligibility system which sets the income level eligible for |
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charity care lower than that required by counties under Section |
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61.023 or higher, in the case of the financially indigent, than 300 |
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[200] percent of the federal poverty guidelines. A hospital may |
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determine that a person is financially or medically indigent |
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pursuant to the hospital's eligibility system after health care |
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services are provided. |
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SECTION 2. Section 311.031(11), Health and Safety Code, as |
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amended by this Act applies to charity care provided to a patient on |
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or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |