Bill > HB306

This bill, titled the "Fair Pricing for Routine Medical Care Act," aims to prohibit certain health care facility fees, which are extra charges hospitals or health systems add to bills to cover operational expenses, separate from the fees for the actual medical services provided. Starting January 1, 2027, hospitals and health systems will be barred from directly charging patients facility fees for routine outpatient services like preventive care, vaccinations, and telehealth, though these fees can still be charged for inpatient care, hospital emergency departments, or freestanding emergency departments, and generally to insurers. However, this prohibition does not apply to hospitals or clinics in rural areas, and importantly, hospitals and health systems cannot charge facility fees to uninsured patients for any service. The bill also mandates significant transparency, requiring hospitals and health systems to notify patients about potential facility fees, their amounts, and whether insurance will cover them at the time of appointment scheduling and again when services are rendered, and to post visible signs detailing these fees and exemptions. Furthermore, standardized, clear bills must itemize all charges, specifically identify facility fees, and provide contact information for billing inquiries, with patients being exempt from cancellation fees if they decline or reschedule appointments due to high or uncovered facility fees. Finally, hospitals and health systems charging facility fees must report detailed data on these fees to the all-payer claims database, which is a system collecting health care claims information, to help assess their prevalence and cost across the state.