HBA-MPM C.S.H.B. 398 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 398 By: Smith Public Health 4/30/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In some instances, there has been confusion over the ability or right of an individual to procure personal billing records regarding medical services provided to them. While physicians are required to provide medical records within a set time period after receiving a written request, current law does not specify a time limit for billing records, and individuals may have to wait a lengthy period of time to receive their records. C.S.H.B. 398 includes billing records in medical record provisions related to physician-patient communication. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners in SECTION 6 (Section 159.0061, Occupations Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 398 amends the Occupations Code to include billing records in medical record provisions related to physician-patient communication. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 398 differs from the original by applying medical record provisions related to physician-patient communication to billing records, whereas the original bill prohibited a physician responding to a written consent for the release of confidential medical records from treating a request for billing records differently than a request for any other type of medical records.