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Synopsis As Introduced Creates the Hospital Discriminatory Pricing Reform Act and amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires every hospital to develop an "assistance to the uninsured" policy specifying how the hospital will determine the financial liability for services rendered to uninsured patients. Requires that the policy address charity care. Requires notice of the policy to patients. Limits debt collection activities by a hospital. Provides that a violation of the Hospital Discriminatory Pricing Reform Act may subject a hospital to suspension or revocation of its license. Also provides for civil penalties and for a private right of action. Effective immediately.
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Hospital Charity Assistance Act. Provides that every hospital (except a hospital that does not charge for its services or a hospital that is granted an exemption by the Department of Public Health) must adopt a charity assistance policy specifying how the hospital will determine the financial liability for medically necessary services rendered to financially qualified uninsured patients. Sets forth certain responsibilities of an uninsured patient as a condition of receiving charity assistance. Requires a hospital to make reasonable efforts to obtain from a patient or his or her representative information about whether private or public health insurance or sponsorship may fully or partially cover the charges for care rendered by the hospital to the patient. Provides that for at least 70 days after an uninsured patient's discharge, a hospital or its assignee or billing service shall not file a lawsuit to collect payment on the patient's bill, and imposes other limitations on a hospital's debt collection activities. In the case of a violation of the Act, provides for a hospital's plan of correction, the imposition of civil monetary penalties, and injunctive relief. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be used by any private or public third party payer as a basis for reducing their payment rates or policies, and imposes other limitations. Provides that a home rule unit may not regulate hospitals in a manner inconsistent with the Act. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act; provides for sanctions against a hospital for a substantial failure to comply with the Hospital Charity Assistance Act. Effective immediately.
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