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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to county authority to balance bill for county air |
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ambulance services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 113.902(a), Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Section 113.9025, the [The] county |
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treasurer shall direct prosecution for the recovery of any debt |
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owed to the county, as provided by law, and shall supervise the |
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collection of the debt. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 113, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 113.9025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 113.9025. BALANCE BILLING FOR COUNTY AIR AMBULANCE |
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SERVICES. (a) "Balance billing" means the practice of charging an |
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enrollee in a health benefit plan to recover from the enrollee the |
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balance of a health care provider's fee for a service received by |
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the enrollee from the health care provider that is not fully |
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reimbursed by the enrollee's health benefit plan. |
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(b) A county may elect to consider a health benefit plan |
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payment towards a claim for air ambulance services provided by the |
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county as payment in full for those services regardless of the |
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amount the county charged for those services. |
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(c) A county may not practice balance billing for a claim |
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for which the county makes an election under Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |