Bill Title: Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Requires a hospital to screen each uninsured patient, upon the uninsured patient's agreement, at the earliest reasonable moment for potential eligibility for public health insurance programs and financial assistance offered by the hospital. Requires all screening activities, including initial screenings and all follow-up assistance, to be provided in compliance with the Language Assistance Services Act and other applicable federal and State laws and regulations. Requires a hospital to screen an insured patient for hospital financial assistance in specified circumstances. Provides that a hospital may not pursue collection action against an uninsured patient unless the hospital has complied with the screening requirements and applied for and exhausted any discount available to the patient under specified provisions. Provides that a hospital may not refer a bill, or portion thereof, to a collection agency or attorney for collection action against an insured patient without first ensuring compliance with the screening requirements. Provides that the obligations of hospitals under the amendatory Act apply to services provided on or after the first day of the month that begins 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Amends the Community Benefits Act. Requires a hospital to make available to the public the number of uninsured patients who have declined or failed to respond to the screening for eligibility for public health insurance programs financial assistance offered by the hospital and the 5 most frequent reasons for declining. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that, if a patient declines to apply for a public health insurance program on the basis of concern for immigration-related consequences, the hospital may refer the patient to a free, unbiased resource, such as an Immigrant Family Resource Program, to address the patient's immigration-related concerns and assist in enrolling the patient in a public health insurance program and the hospital may still screen the patient for eligibility under hospital’s financial assistance policy. Requires hospitals to permit an uninsured patient to apply for a discount within 90 days of the completion of the screening under the Fair Patient Billing Act or denial of an application for a public health insurance program. Makes other and conforming changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 47-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-07-28 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0323 [HB2719 Detail]

Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

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