Amend the bill in section 1 in §1718 in the first paragraph in the 3rd line (page 1, line 7 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "licensee." the following: ' If a single medical encounter will involve services or procedures to be rendered by one or more 3rd-party health care entities as defined in section 1718-B, subsection 1, paragraph B, the hospital or ambulatory surgical center shall identify each 3rd-party health care entity to enable the individual to seek an estimate of the total price of services or procedures to be rendered directly by each health care entity to that individual.'
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2 and 3 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §1718-C is enacted to read:
Upon the request of an uninsured patient, a health care entity, as defined in section 1718-B, subsection 1, paragraph B, shall provide within a reasonable time of the request an estimate of the total price of medical services to be rendered directly by that health care entity during a single medical encounter. If the health care entity is unable to provide an accurate estimate of the total price of a specific medical service because the amount of the medical service to be consumed during the medical encounter is unknown in advance, the health care entity shall provide a brief description of the basis for determining the total price of that particular medical service. If a single medical encounter will involve medical services to be rendered by one or more 3rd-party health care entities, the health care entity shall identify each 3rd-party health care entity to enable the uninsured patient to seek an estimate of the total price of medical services to be rendered directly by each health care entity to that patient. When providing an estimate as required by this section, a health care entity shall also notify the uninsured patient of any charity care policy adopted by the health care entity.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
summary
This amendment does the following.
1. It adds language to section 1 of the bill requiring hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to also identify each 3rd-party health care practitioner or facility that will provide health care services or procedures to a consumer as part of a single medical encounter to enable the consumer to seek an estimate of the total price of medical services to be rendered directly by each practitioner or facility.
2. It removes the provision of the bill that requires health care practitioners to prominently display information on price transparency tools to assist consumers to obtain estimates of health care costs, the substance of which has been enacted into law by other legislation, and removes the provision of the bill requiring each health care practitioner and health care facility to provide an individualized cost estimate for a client's anticipated health care services and procedures.
3. It requires that health care practitioners and health care facilities provide uninsured patients, upon request, with an estimate of the total price of a single medical encounter and notification of any charity care policy adopted by the practitioner or facility. If the practitioner or facility is unable to provide an accurate estimate of the total price because the amount of a medical service to be consumed during the medical encounter is unknown in advance, the practitioner or facility must provide a brief description of the basis for determining the total price. If a single medical encounter will involve medical services to be rendered by one or more 3rd-party health care practitioners or facilities, the practitioner or facility must identify each 3rd-party practitioner or facility to enable the uninsured patient to seek an estimate of the total price of medical services to be rendered directly by each practitioner or facility.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)