1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; requiring transparency in hospital billing within a certain time; 
1.3 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [144.591] DISCLOSURE OF HOSPITAL CHARGES.
1.6 	(a) Each hospital, including hospitals designated as critical access hospitals, shall provide 
1.7 	to each discharged patient within 30 calendar days of discharge an itemized description of 
1.8 	billed charges for medical services and goods the patient received during the hospital stay. 
1.9 	The itemized description of billed charges may include technical terms to describe the 
1.10 	medical services and goods if the technical terms are defined on the itemized description  
1.11 	with limited medical nomenclature. The itemized description of billed charges must not 
1.12 	describe a billed charge using only a medical billing code, "miscellaneous charges," or 
1.13 	"supply charges."
1.14 	(b) A hospital may not bill or otherwise charge a patient for the itemized description of 
1.15 	billed charges.
1.16 	(c) A hospital must provide an itemized description by secure e-mail, via a secure online 
1.17 	portal, or, upon request, by mail.
1.18 	(d) This section does not apply to patients enrolled in Medicare, medical assistance, the 
1.19 	MinnesotaCare program, or who receive health care coverage through an employer 
1.20 	self-insured health plan.

1.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective August 1, 2020.