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S. 1688: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the full disclosure of billing and service information to patients.

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The text of the bill below is as of May 23, 2019 (Introduced).

II

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1688

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

(for himself and Mr. Casey) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the full disclosure of billing and service information to patients.

1.

Patient disclosures

Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

399V–7.

Patient disclosures

(a)

In general

The Secretary shall require—

(1)

health care facilities and practitioners to provide to patients a list of services rendered during the visit to such facility or practitioner upon discharge; and

(2)

health care facilities and practitioners to send all bills to the patient within 30 business days.

(b)

Payment after billing

No patient may be required to pay a bill for health care services any earlier than 30 business days after receipt of a bill for such services.

(c)

Effect of violation

(1)

Notification and refund requirements

If a facility or practitioner bills a patient after the 30-business-day period described in subsection (a)(2), such facility or practitioner shall—

(A)

report such bill to the Secretary; and

(B)

refund the patient for the full amount paid in response to such bill with interest, at a rate determined by the Secretary.

(2)

Civil monetary penalties

(A)

In general

The Secretary may impose civil monetary penalties of up to $10,000 a day on any facility or practitioner that submits more than 10 bills outside of the period described in subsection (a)(2), beginning on the date on which such facility or practitioner sends the tenth such bill.

(B)

Procedure

The provisions of section 1128A of the Social Security Act, other than subsections (a) and (b) and the first sentence of subsection (c)(1) of such section, shall apply to civil money penalties under this subsection in the same manner as such provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A of the Social Security Act.

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