Bill > HB422

This bill establishes the Patient Overpayment Refund Act in Louisiana, which requires healthcare providers to promptly refund patients for overpayments made for medical services. Specifically, healthcare providers must issue a refund within 90 days of identifying and verifying an overpayment, and the refund must be made in the same form as the original payment or through an alternative method agreed upon by the patient. The bill defines key terms such as "healthcare provider" (any medical practice, clinic, facility, group, or hospital), "patient" (an individual who received medical services), and "overpayment" (an amount paid that exceeds the total amount owed). Healthcare providers must notify patients in writing when issuing a refund and maintain records of overpayments for at least three years. If a provider fails to issue a refund within the specified timeframe, the Louisiana Department of Health can assess a fine of $500 or the amount of the overpayment, whichever is greater. Patients can file a complaint with the department if a healthcare provider violates these provisions. The bill also allows providers to apply an overpayment as a credit toward an outstanding patient balance with consent, or process the overpayment according to unclaimed property laws if the patient cannot be located.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=25rs&b=HB422&sbi=y