HBA-DMH H.B. 3612 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3612 By: Delisi Public Health 4/4/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not authorize a nonprofit hospital or hospital system under contract with a local county to credit direct care toward meeting the hospital's charity and indigent care requirements. In addition, the law does not specify that a preferred provider benefit plan is a health care plan for the purposes of regulating physician communications with patients. Also, under current law, information relating to the discharge or transfer of a person from a licensed hospital may not be disclosed without the patients authorization. House Bill 3612 includes a preferred provider benefit plan in the definition of "health care plan," includes discharge or transfer information in the definition of "directory information," and authorizes the use of direct care credit in meeting charity and indigent care requirements. 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 3612 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 direct care provided to an eligible county resident toward meeting the nonprofit hospital's or system's charity care and government-sponsored indigent health care requirement. The bill includes a preferred provider benefit plan in (PPO plan) the definition of "health care plan" for the purpose of permitting unrestricted communication between a physician and a patient regarding a PPO plan, coverage, and services. The bill includes information relating to the discharge or transfer of a person from a licensed hospital as part of "directory information" which may be disclosed without the patient's authorization. The bill requires a nonprofit hospital to consider consulting with and seeking input from community representatives of physician professional associations in determining the community-wide needs assessment when developing the community benefits plan. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.