bill shortening the health care billing deadline

The text as introduced · 438 words

89R14952 AJA-F

By: Paxton
S.B. No. 2418

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to timely billing requirements for health care service

providers.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 146.002(a), (b), and (c), Civil

Practice and Remedies Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c), a health

care service provider shall bill a patient or other responsible

person for services provided to the patient not later than the 90th

day [ first day of the 11th month ] after the date the services are

provided.

(b) If the health care service provider is required or

authorized to directly bill the issuer of a health benefit plan for

services provided to a patient, the health care service provider

shall bill the issuer of the plan not later than:

(1) the date required under any contract between the

health care service provider and the issuer of the health benefit

plan; or

(2) if there is no contract between the health care

service provider and the issuer of the health benefit plan, the 90th

day [ first day of the 11th month ] after the date the services are

provided.

(c) If the health care service provider is required or

authorized to directly bill a third party payor operating under

federal or state law, including Medicare and the state Medicaid

program, the health care service provider shall bill the third

party payor not later than:

(1) the date required under any contract between the

health care service provider and the third party payor or the date

required by federal regulation or state rule, as applicable; or

(2) if there is no contract between the health care

service provider and the third party payor and there is no

applicable federal regulation or state rule, the 90th day [ first

day of the 11th month ] after the date the services are provided.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to health care services provided on or after the effective date of

this Act. Health care services provided before the effective date

of this Act are governed by the law as it existed immediately before

the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect

for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.