HF 4549

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 04/14/2020 11:19am

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying requirements for information on patient medical bills;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 62J.701; 62J.72, subdivision 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 62J.701, is amended to read:

62J.701 GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS.

deleted text begin (a) Beginning January 1, 1999, the provisions in paragraphs (b) to (e) apply.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (a) new text end For purposes of sections 62J.695 to 62J.80, the requirements and other provisions
that apply to health plan companies also apply to governmental programs.

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (b) new text end For purposes of this section, "governmental programs" means the medical
assistance program, the MinnesotaCare program, the state employee group insurance
program, the public employees insurance program under section 43A.316, and coverage
provided by political subdivisions under section 471.617.

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end Notwithstanding paragraph deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (a) new text end , section 62J.72 deleted text begin does deleted text end new text begin , subdivisions 1, 2, and 3,
paragraph (a), do new text end not apply to the fee-for-service programs under medical assistance and
MinnesotaCare new text begin , and section 62J.72, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), does not apply to enrollees
covered by medical assistance, MinnesotaCare, or Medicare new text end .

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end If a state commissioner or local unit of government contracts with a health plan
company or a third-party administrator, the contract may assign any obligations under
paragraph deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (a) new text end to the health plan company or third-party administrator. Nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed to remove or diminish any enforcement responsibilities of the
commissioners of health or commerce provided in sections 62J.695 to 62J.80.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2021.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 62J.72, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Information on patients' medical bills.

new text begin (a) new text end A health plan company and health
care provider shall provide patients and enrollees with a copy of an explicit and intelligible
bill deleted text begin whenever the patient or enrollee is sent a bill and is responsible for paying any portion
of that bill deleted text end . The bills must contain descriptive language sufficient to be understood by the
average patient or enrollee. new text begin A patient or enrollee may request in writing from a provider or
health plan company an itemized bill that includes all charges for which the provider bills
the patient for services provided. new text end This subdivision does not apply to a flat co-pay paid by
the patient or enrollee at the time the service is required.

new text begin (b) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a), when a health care provider transmits
a bill to a patient, the bill must specify the following for the health care services provided:
new text end

new text begin (1) the dollar amount the provider is willing to accept as payment in full;
new text end

new text begin (2) the Medicare-allowable fee-for-service payment rate; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the provider's Medicare percent.
new text end

new text begin (c) For purposes of this subdivision, "Medicare percent" means the percentage of the
Medicare allowable payment rate that a health care provider is willing to accept as payment
in full for health care services provided by that provider.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2021.
new text end