By: Leach (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 2929
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 2019;
  May 10, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 19, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to hospital liens.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 55, Property Code, is amended by adding
  Section 55.0015 to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.0015.  ADMISSION TO HOSPITAL.  For purposes of this
  chapter, an injured individual is considered admitted to a hospital
  if the individual is allowed access to any department of the
  hospital for the provision of any treatment, care, or service to the
  individual.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 55.004(b) and (d), Property Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A hospital lien described by Section 55.002(a) is for
  the lesser of:
               (1)  the amount of the hospital's charges for services
  provided to the injured individual during the first 100 days of the
  injured individual's hospitalization; or
               (2)  50 percent of all amounts recovered by the injured
  individual through a cause of action, judgment, or settlement
  described by Section 55.003(a).
         (d)  A hospital lien described by Section 55.002(a) does not
  cover:
               (1)  charges for other services that exceed a
  reasonable and regular rate for the services;
               (2)  charges by the physician related to any services
  provided under Subsection (c) for which the physician has accepted
  insurance benefits or payment under a private medical indemnity
  plan or program, regardless of whether the benefits or payment
  equals the full amount of the physician's charges for those
  services;
               (3)  charges by the physician for services provided
  under Subsection (c) if the injured individual has coverage under a
  private medical indemnity plan or program from which the physician
  is entitled to recover payment for the physician's services under
  an assignment of benefits or similar rights; [or]
               (4)  charges by the physician related to any services
  provided under Subsection (c) if the physician is a member of the
  legislature; or
               (5)  charges for which recovery is barred under Section
  146.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
         SECTION 3.  The addition by this Act of Section 55.0015,
  Property Code, is intended to clarify rather than change the
  existing law.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
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