| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to patient billing; amending s. 395.301, |
| 3 | F.S.; prohibiting licensed hospitals, ambulatory surgical |
| 4 | centers, and mobile surgical facilities from collecting or |
| 5 | attempting to collect charges from a patient who is |
| 6 | covered by a third-party public or private payor; |
| 7 | providing exceptions; providing an effective date. |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (11) is added to section 395.301, |
| 12 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 13 | 395.301 Itemized patient bill; form and content prescribed |
| 14 | by the agency; prohibited billing and collection practices.-- |
| 15 | (11) Notwithstanding any local ordinance or special or |
| 16 | general law to the contrary, a licensed facility shall not be |
| 17 | entitled to collect and shall not attempt to collect charges |
| 18 | from a patient for medical services provided by the facility or |
| 19 | its employees or staff if there is a third-party public or |
| 20 | private payor, including any health plan as defined in s. |
| 21 | 408.7057(1)(b), that upon receipt of a bill for the services is |
| 22 | obligated to the patient to provide payment to the facility for |
| 23 | the services provided to the patient, except any deductibles or |
| 24 | copayments required by the public or private payor and those |
| 25 | charges for which coverage or benefits are excluded under the |
| 26 | public or private payor plans. |
| 27 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |