HBA-NRS H.B. 2419 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2419
By: Coleman
Public Health
7/18/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Nonprofit hospitals or hospital systems are required to devote a specific
amount of their net patient revenues to charity care and
government-sponsored indigent health care.  House Bill 2419 further
develops charity care reporting requirements and requires clarification of
the charity care policies of nonprofit hospitals and hospital systems. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution.  

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2419 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a nonprofit
hospital or hospital system under contract with a local county to provide
indigent health care services under the Indigent Health Care and Treatment
Act to credit unreimbursed costs from direct care provided to an eligible
county resident toward meeting the hospital's or system's charity care and
government-sponsored indigent health care requirement.  The bill requires
each hospital to provide to each person who seeks any health care service
at the hospital notice of the charity care program and the program's
charity care and eligibility policies.  The bill requires each hospital to
publish annually a notice of the hospital's charity care program and
policies in a local newspaper. The bill requires the Texas Department of
Health to publish annually a manual that lists each nonprofit hospital in
this state with a brief summary of the charity care policies and community
benefits that the nonprofit hospital provides. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.