Amended in Senate May 22, 2014

Senate Bill No. 1276

Introduced by Senator Hernandez

February 21, 2014

An act to amend Sections 127400, begin insert 127405, end insert 127420, 127425, 127450, 127454, and 127455 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care billing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1276, as amended, Hernandez. Health care: fair billing policies.

(1) Existing law requires begin delete each end delete begin insert a end insert hospital, begin delete as a condition of licensure, end delete begin insert as defined, end insert to maintain an understandable written policy regarding discount payments for financially qualified patients as well as a written charity care policy begin insert , and authorizes a hospital to negotiate the terms of a payment plan with a patient end insert . Existing law requires begin insert that end insert uninsured patients or patients with high medical costs who are at or below 350% of the federal poverty level begin delete to end delete be eligible for charity care or a discount payment policy from a hospital, as specified, and requires that specified patients be eligible for discount payments to an emergency physician. Existing law defines a patient with high medical costs as a person whose family income does not exceed 350% of the federal poverty level and who does not receive a discounted rate from the hospital or physician as a result of his or her 3rd-party coverage.

This bill would begin insert instead require a hospital to negotiate with a patient regarding a payment plan, taking into consideration the patient’s family income and essential living expenses. This bill would require the hospital to use a specified formula to create a reasonable payment plan, as defined, if the hospital and the patient cannot agree to a payment plan. This bill would end insert change the definition of a person with high medical costs to include those persons who do receive a discounted rate from the hospital as a result of 3rd-party coverage. begin insert This bill would also require an emergency physician or his or her assignee to use a specified formula to calculate a reasonable payment plan when no agreement can be reached on the amount of payment between a patient attempting to qualify for eligibility under the emergency physician’s discount payment policy. end insert

(2) Existing law requires a hospital or emergency physician to make a reasonable effort to obtain from the patient, or his or her representative, information about whether private or public health insurance or sponsorship may fully or partially cover the charges for care, including private health insurance, and requires the hospital or emergency physician to provide a patient who has not shown proof of 3rd-party coverage with specified information, including a statement that he or she may be eligible for specified health coverage programs, including Medi-Cal and the California Children’s Services begin delete Program, end delete begin insert program, end insert and applications for those programs.

This bill would require the hospital or emergency physician to obtain information as to whether the patient may be eligible for the California Health Benefit Exchange and to include in the information provided to a patient that has not shown proof of 3rd-party coverage a statement that the consumer may be eligible for coverage through the California Health Benefit Exchange or other state- or county-funded health coverage programs. The bill would also specify that, when a patient applies, or has a pending application, for another health coverage program at the same time he or she applies for charity care or a discount payment program, that neither application precludes eligibility for the other program.

(3) Existing law requires a hospital or an emergency physician to have a written policy defining standards and practices for the collection of debt, and a written agreement from any agency that collects debt that it will adhere to the standards and practices.

This bill would require the affiliate, subsidiary, or external collection agency that is collecting hospital or emergency physician receivables to comply with the definition and application of a reasonable payment plan, as defined.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 127400 of the Health and Safety Code
is amended to read:

127400.  

As used in this article, the following terms have the
following meanings:

(a) “Allowance for financially qualified patient” means, with
respect to services rendered to a financially qualified patient, an
allowance that is applied after the hospital’s charges are imposed
on the patient, due to the patient’s determined financial inability
to pay the charges.

(b) “Federal poverty level” means the poverty guidelines updated
periodically in the Federal Register by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services under authority of
subsection (2) of Section 9902 of Title 42 of the United States
Code.

(c) “Financially qualified patient” means a patient who is both
of the following:

(1) A patient who is a self-pay patient, as defined in subdivision
(f), or a patient with high medical costs, as defined in subdivision
(g).

(2) A patient who has a family income that does not exceed 350
percent of the federal poverty level.

(d) “Hospital” means a facility that is required to be licensed
under subdivision (a), (b), or (f) of Section 1250, except a facility
operated by the State Department of State Hospitals or the
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(e) “Office” means the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development.

(f) “Self-pay patient” means a patient who does not have
third-party coverage from a health insurer, health care service plan,
Medicare, or Medicaid, and whose injury is not a compensable
injury for purposes of workers’ compensation, automobile
insurance, or other insurance as determined and documented by
the hospital. Self-pay patients may include charity care patients.

(g) “A patient with high medical costs” means a person whose
family income does not exceed 350 percent of the federal poverty
level, as defined in subdivision (b). For these purposes, “high
medical costs” means any of the following:

(1) Annual out-of-pocket costs incurred by the individual at the
hospital that exceed 10 percent of the patient’s family income in
the prior 12 months.

(2) Annual out-of-pocket expenses that exceed 10 percent of
the patient’s family income, if the patient provides documentation
of the patient’s medical expenses paid by the patient or the patient’s
family in the prior 12 months.

(3) A lower level determined by the hospital in accordance with
the hospital’s charity care policy.

(h) “Patient’s family” means the following:

(1) For persons 18 years of age and older, spouse, domestic
partner, as defined in Section 297 of the Family Code, and
dependent children under 21 years of age, whether living at home
or not.

(2) For persons under 18 years of age, parent, caretaker relatives,
and other children under 21 years of age of the parent or caretaker
relative.

(i) “Reasonable payment plan” means monthly payments that
are not more than begin delete 5 end delete begin insert 10 end insert percent of a patient’s family income for a
month, excluding deductions for essential living expenses.
begin insert “Essential living expenses” means, for purposes of this subdivision,
expenses for any of the following: rent or house payment and
maintenance, food and household supplies, utilities and telephone,
clothing, medical and dental payments, insurance, school or child
care, child or spousal support, transportation and auto expenses,
including insurance, gas, and repairs, installment payments,
laundry and cleaning, and other extraordinary expenses. end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 127405 of the end insert begin insert Health and Safety Code end insert begin insert is
amended to read: end insert

127405.  

(a) (1) (A) Each hospital shall maintain an
understandable written policy regarding discount payments for
financially qualified patients as well as an understandable written
charity care policy. Uninsured patients or patients with high
medical costs who are at or below 350 percent of the federal
poverty level, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 127400,
shall be eligible to apply for participation under a hospital’s charity
care policy or discount payment policy. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this article, a hospital may choose to grant eligibility
for its discount payment policy or charity care policies to patients
with incomes over 350 percent of the federal poverty level. Both
the charity care policy and the discount payment policy shall state
the process used by the hospital to determine whether a patient is
eligible for charity care or discounted payment. In the event of a
dispute, a patient may seek review from the business manager,
chief financial officer, or other appropriate manager as designated
in the charity care policy and the discount payment policy.

(B) The written policy regarding discount payments shall also
include a statement that an emergency physician, as defined in
Section 127450, who provides emergency medical services in a
hospital that provides emergency care is also required by law to
provide discounts to uninsured patients or patients with high
medical costs who are at or below 350 percent of the federal
poverty level. This statement shall not be construed to impose any
additional responsibilities upon the hospital.

(2) Rural hospitals, as defined in Section 124840, may establish
eligibility levels for financial assistance and charity care at less
than 350 percent of the federal poverty level as appropriate to
maintain their financial and operational integrity.

(b) A hospital’s discount payment policy shall clearly state
eligibility criteria based upon income consistent with the
application of the federal poverty level. The discount payment
policy shall also include an extended payment plan to allow
payment of the discounted price over time. The policy shall provide
that the hospital and the patient begin delete may end delete begin insert shall end insert negotiate the terms of
the payment begin delete plan. end delete begin insert plan, and take into consideration the patient’s
family income and essential living expenses. If the hospital and
the patient cannot agree on the payment plan, the hospital shall
use the formula described in subdivision (i) of Section 127400 to
create a reasonable payment plan. end insert

(c) The charity care policy shall state clearly the eligibility
criteria for charity care. In determining eligibility under its charity
care policy, a hospital may consider income and monetary assets
of the patient. For purposes of this determination, monetary assets
shall not include retirement or deferred compensation plans
qualified under the Internal Revenue Code, or nonqualified deferred
compensation plans. Furthermore, the first ten thousand dollars
($10,000) of a patient’s monetary assets shall not be counted in
determining eligibility, nor shall 50 percent of a patient’s monetary
assets over the first ten thousand dollars ($10,000) be counted in
determining eligibility.

(d) A hospital shall limit expected payment for services it
provides to a patient at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty
level, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 127400, eligible
under its discount payment policy to the amount of payment the
hospital would expect, in good faith, to receive for providing
services from Medicare, Medi-Cal, the Healthy Families Program,
or another government-sponsored health program of health benefits
in which the hospital participates, whichever is greater. If the
hospital provides a service for which there is no established
payment by Medicare or any other government-sponsored program
of health benefits in which the hospital participates, the hospital
shall establish an appropriate discounted payment.

(e) A patient, or patient’s legal representative, who requests a
discounted payment, charity care, or other assistance in meeting
his or her financial obligation to the hospital shall make every
reasonable effort to provide the hospital with documentation of
income and health benefits coverage. If the person requests charity
care or a discounted payment and fails to provide information that
is reasonable and necessary for the hospital to make a
determination, the hospital may consider that failure in making its
determination.

(1) For purposes of determining eligibility for discounted
payment, documentation of income shall be limited to recent pay
stubs or income tax returns.

(2) For purposes of determining eligibility for charity care,
documentation of assets may include information on all monetary
assets, but shall not include statements on retirement or deferred
compensation plans qualified under the Internal Revenue Code,
or nonqualified deferred compensation plans. A hospital may
require waivers or releases from the patient or the patient’s family,
authorizing the hospital to obtain account information from
financial or commercial institutions, or other entities that hold or
maintain the monetary assets, to verify their value.

(3) Information obtained pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) shall
not be used for collections activities. This paragraph does not
prohibit the use of information obtained by the hospital, collection
agency, or assignee independently of the eligibility process for
charity care or discounted payment.

(4) Eligibility for discounted payments or charity care may be
determined at any time the hospital is in receipt of information
specified in paragraph (1) or (2), respectively.

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete
begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

Section 127420 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

127420.  

(a) Each hospital shall make all reasonable efforts to
obtain from the patient or his or her representative information
about whether private or public health insurance or sponsorship
may fully or partially cover the charges for care rendered by the
hospital to a patient, including, but not limited to, any of the
following:

(1) Private health insurance, including coverage offered through
the California Health Benefit Exchange.

(2) Medicare.

(3) The Medi-Cal program, the Healthy Families Program, the
California Children’s Services begin delete Program, end delete begin insert program, end insert or other
state-funded programs designed to provide health coverage.

(b) If a hospital bills a patient who has not provided proof of
coverage by a third party at the time the care is provided or upon
discharge, as a part of that billing, the hospital shall provide the
patient with a clear and conspicuous notice that includes all of the
following:

(1) A statement of charges for services rendered by the hospital.

(2) A request that the patient inform the hospital if the patient
has health insurance coverage, Medicare, Healthy Families
begin insert Program end insert , Medi-Cal, or other coverage.

(3) A statement that, if the consumer does not have health
insurance coverage, the consumer may be eligible for Medicare,
Healthy Families begin insert Program end insert , Medi-Cal, coverage offered through
the California Health Benefit Exchange, California Children’s
Services begin delete Program, end delete begin insert program, end insert other state- or county-funded health
coverage, or charity care.

(4) A statement indicating how patients may obtain applications
for the Medi-Cal program and the Healthy Families Program,
coverage offered through the California Health Benefit Exchange,
or other state- or county-funded health coverage programs and that
the hospital will provide these applications. The hospital shall also
provide patients with a referral to a local consumer assistance
center housed at legal services offices. If the patient does not
indicate coverage by a third-party payer specified in subdivision
(a) begin delete , end delete or requests a discounted price or charity care begin insert , end insert then the hospital
shall provide an application for the Medi-Cal program, the Healthy
Families Program begin insert , end insert or other state- or county-funded health coverage
programs. This application shall be provided prior to discharge if
the patient has been admitted or to patients receiving emergency
or outpatient care.

(5) Information regarding the financially qualified patient and
charity care application, including the following:

(A) A statement that indicates that if the patient lacks, or has
inadequate, insurance, and meets certain low- and moderate-income
requirements, the patient may qualify for discounted payment or
charity care.

(B) The name and telephone number of a hospital employee or
office from whom or which the patient may obtain information
about the hospital’s discount payment and charity care policies,
and how to apply for that assistance.

(C) If a patient applies, or has a pending application, for another
health coverage program at the same time that he or she applies
for a hospital charity care or discount payment program, neither
application shall preclude eligibility for the other program.

begin delete SEC. 3. end delete
begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

Section 127425 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

127425.  

(a) Each hospital shall have a written policy about
when and under whose authority patient debt is advanced for
collection, whether the collection activity is conducted by the
hospital, an affiliate or subsidiary of the hospital, or by an external
collection agency.

(b) Each hospital shall establish a written policy defining
standards and practices for the collection of debt, and shall obtain
a written agreement from any agency that collects hospital
receivables that it will adhere to the hospital’s standards and scope
of practices. This agreement shall require the affiliate, subsidiary,
or external collection agency of the hospital that collects the debt
to comply with the hospital’s definition and application of a
reasonable payment plan, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section
127400. The policy shall not conflict with other applicable laws
and shall not be construed to create a joint venture between the
hospital and the external entity, or otherwise to allow hospital
governance of an external entity that collects hospital receivables.
In determining the amount of a debt a hospital may seek to recover
from patients who are eligible under the hospital’s charity care
policy or discount payment policy, the hospital may consider only
income and monetary assets as limited by Section 127405.

(c) At time of billing, each hospital shall provide a written
summary consistent with Section 127410, which includes the same
information concerning services and charges provided to all other
patients who receive care at the hospital.

(d) For a patient that lacks coverage, or for a patient that
provides information that he or she may be a patient with high
medical costs, as defined in this article, a hospital, any assignee
of the hospital, or other owner of the patient debt, including a
collection agency, shall not report adverse information to a
consumer credit reporting agency or commence civil action against
the patient for nonpayment at any time prior to 150 days after
initial billing.

(e) If a patient is attempting to qualify for eligibility under the
hospital’s charity care or discount payment policy and is attempting
in good faith to settle an outstanding bill with the hospital by
negotiating a reasonable payment plan or by making regular partial
payments of a reasonable amount, the hospital shall not send the
unpaid bill to any collection agency or other assignee, unless that
entity has agreed to comply with this article.

(f) (1) The hospital or other assignee begin delete which end delete begin insert that end insert is an affiliate
or subsidiary of the hospital shall not, in dealing with patients
eligible under the hospital’s charity care or discount payment
policies, use wage garnishments or liens on primary residences as
a means of collecting unpaid hospital bills.

(2) A collection agency or other assignee that is not a subsidiary
or affiliate of the hospital shall not, in dealing with any patient
under the hospital’s charity care or discount payment policies, use
as a means of collecting unpaid hospital bills, any of the following:

(A) A wage garnishment, except by order of the court upon
noticed motion, supported by a declaration filed by the movant
identifying the basis for which it believes that the patient has the
ability to make payments on the judgment under the wage
garnishment, which the court shall consider in light of the size of
the judgment and additional information provided by the patient
prior to, or at, the hearing concerning the patient’s ability to pay,
including information about probable future medical expenses
based on the current condition of the patient and other obligations
of the patient.

(B) Notice or conduct a sale of the patient’s primary residence
during the life of the patient or his or her spouse, or during the
period a child of the patient is a minor, or a child of the patient
who has attained the age of majority is unable to take care of
himself or herself and resides in the dwelling as his or her primary
residence. In the event a person protected by this paragraph owns
more than one dwelling, the primary residence shall be the dwelling
that is the patient’s current homestead, as defined in Section
704.710 of the Code of Civil Procedure begin insert , end insert or was the patient’s
homestead at the time of the death of a person other than the patient
who is asserting the protections of this paragraph.

(3) This requirement does not preclude a hospital, collection
agency, or other assignee from pursuing reimbursement and any
enforcement remedy or remedies from third-party liability
settlements, tortfeasors, or other legally responsible parties.

(g) Extended payment plans offered by a hospital to assist
patients eligible under the hospital’s charity care policy, discount
payment policy, or any other policy adopted by the hospital for
assisting low-income patients with no insurance or high medical
costs in settling outstanding past due hospital bills, shall be interest
free. The hospital extended payment plan may be declared no
longer operative after the patient’s failure to make all consecutive
payments due during a 90-day period. Before declaring the hospital
extended payment plan no longer operative, the hospital, collection
agency, or assignee shall make a reasonable attempt to contact the
patient by begin delete phone end delete begin insert telephone end insert and, to give notice in writing, that the
extended payment plan may become inoperative, and of the
opportunity to renegotiate the extended payment plan. Prior to the
hospital extended payment plan being declared inoperative, the
hospital, collection agency, or assignee shall attempt to renegotiate
the terms of the defaulted extended payment plan, if requested by
the patient. The hospital, collection agency, or assignee shall not
report adverse information to a consumer credit reporting agency
or commence a civil action against the patient or responsible party
for nonpayment prior to the time the extended payment plan is
declared to be no longer operative. For purposes of this section,
the notice and begin delete phone end delete begin insert telephone end insert call to the patient may be made to
the last known begin delete phone end delete begin insert telephone end insert number and address of the patient.

(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to diminish or
eliminate any protections consumers have under existing federal
and state debt collection laws, or any other consumer protections
available under state or federal law. If the patient fails to make all
consecutive payments for 90 days and fails to renegotiate a
payment plan, this subdivision does not limit or alter the obligation
of the patient to make payments on the obligation owing to the
hospital pursuant to any contract or applicable statute from the
date that the extended payment plan is declared no longer operative,
as set forth in subdivision (g).

begin delete SEC. 4. end delete
begin insert SEC. 5. end insert   

Section 127450 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

127450.  

As used in this article, the following terms have the
following meanings:

(a) “Allowance for financially qualified patient” means, with
respect to emergency care rendered to a financially qualified
patient, an allowance that is applied after the emergency
physician’s charges are imposed on the patient, due to the patient’s
determined financial inability to pay the charges.

(b) “Emergency care” means emergency medical services and
care, as defined in Section 1317.1, that is provided by an
emergency physician in the emergency department of a hospital.

(c) “Emergency physician” means a physician and surgeon
licensed pursuant to Chapter begin delete 2 end delete begin insert 5 end insert (commencing with Section 2000)
begin insert of Division 2 end insert of the Business and Professions Code who is
credentialed by a hospital and either employed or contracted by
the hospital to provide emergency medical services in the
emergency department of the hospital, except that an “emergency
physician” shall not include a physician specialist who is called
into the emergency department of a hospital or who is on staff or
has privileges at the hospital outside of the emergency department.

(d) “Federal poverty level” means the poverty guidelines updated
periodically in the Federal Register by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services under authority of
subsection (2) of Section 9902 of Title 42 of the United States
Code.

(e) “Financially qualified patient” means a patient who is both
of the following:

(1) A patient who is a self-pay patient or a patient with high
medical costs.

(2) A patient who has a family income that does not exceed 350
percent of the federal poverty level.

(f) “Hospital” means a facility that is required to be licensed
under subdivision (a) of Section 1250, except a facility operated
by the State Department of State Hospitals or the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(g) “Office” means the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development.

(h) “Self-pay patient” means a patient who does not have
third-party coverage from a health insurer, health care service plan,
Medicare, or Medicaid, and whose injury is not a compensable
injury for purposes of workers’ compensation, automobile
insurance, or other insurance as determined and documented by
the emergency physician. Self-pay patients may include charity
care patients.

(i) “A patient with high medical costs” means a person whose
family income does not exceed 350 percent of the federal poverty
begin delete level. end delete begin insert level if that individual does not receive a discounted rate
from the emergency physician as a result of his or her third-party
coverage. end insert For these purposes, “high medical costs” means any of
the following:

(1) Annual out-of-pocket costs incurred by the individual at the
hospital that provided emergency care that exceed 10 percent of
the patient’s family income in the prior 12 months.

(2) Annual out-of-pocket expenses that exceed 10 percent of
the patient’s family income, if the patient provides documentation
of the patient’s medical expenses paid by the patient or the patient’s
family in the prior 12 months. The emergency physician may waive
the request for documentation.

(3) A lower level determined by the emergency physician in
accordance with the emergency physician’s discounted payment
policy.

(j) “Patient’s family” means the following:

(1) For persons 18 years of age and older, spouse, domestic
partner, as defined in Section 297 of the Family Code, and
dependent children under 21 years of age, whether living at home
or not.

(2) For persons under 18 years of age, parent, caretaker relatives,
and other children under 21 years of age of the parent or caretaker
relative.

(k) “Reasonable payment plan” means monthly payments that
are not more than begin delete 5 end delete begin insert 10 end insert percent of a patient’s family income for a
month, excluding deductions for essential living expenses.
begin insert “Essential living expenses” means, for purposes of this subdivision,
expenses for all of the following: rent or house payment and
maintenance, food and household supplies, utilities and telephone,
clothing, medical and dental payments, insurance, school or child
care, child or spousal support, transportation and auto expenses,
including insurance, gas, and repairs, installment payments,
laundry and cleaning, and other extraordinary expenses. end insert

begin delete SEC. 5. end delete
begin insert SEC. 6. end insert   

Section 127454 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

127454.  

(a) Each emergency physician shall make all
reasonable efforts to obtain from the patient, or his or her
representative, information about whether private or public health
insurance or sponsorship may fully or partially cover the charges
for emergency care rendered by the emergency physician to a
patient, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

(1) Private health insurance, including coverage offered through
the California Health Benefit Exchange.

(2) Medicare.

(3) The Medi-Cal program, the Healthy Families Program, the
California Children’s Services begin delete Program, end delete begin insert program, end insert or other state-
or county-funded programs designed to provide comprehensive
health coverage.

(b) If the emergency physician or his or her representative bills
a patient who has not provided proof of coverage by a third party
at the time the care is provided or upon discharge, as a part of that
billing, the emergency physician shall provide the patient with a
clear and conspicuous notice that includes all of the following:

(1) A statement of charges for services rendered by the
emergency physician.

(2) A request that the patient inform the emergency physician
if the patient has health insurance coverage, Medicare, Healthy
Families begin insert Program end insert , Medi-Cal, or other coverage.

(3) A statement that if the consumer does not have health
insurance coverage, the consumer may be eligible for Medicare,
Healthy Families begin insert Program end insert , Medi-Cal, coverage through the
California Health Benefit Exchange, California Children’s Services
begin delete Program, end delete begin insert program, end insert other state- or county-funded health coverage,
or discounted payment care.

(4) Information regarding the financially qualified patient and
discounted payment application, including the following:

(A) A statement that indicates that if the patient lacks, or has
inadequate, insurance, and meets certain low- and moderate-income
requirements, the patient may qualify for discounted payment.
That statement shall also provide patients with a referral to a local
consumer assistance center housed at legal services offices.

(B) The name and telephone number of the emergency
physician’s employee or office from whom or which the patient
may obtain information about the emergency physician’s discount
payment policy, and how to apply for that assistance.

(C) If a patient applies, or has a pending application for, another
health coverage program at the same time that he or she applies
for begin delete a hospital end delete charity care or begin insert a end insert discount payment program, neither
application shall preclude eligibility for the other program.

(c) (1) In addition to the statement of the charges, if the
emergency begin delete physician’s end delete begin insert physician end insert uses the following notice in any
billing, that emergency physician shall be deemed to have complied
with the notice requirements of this section: “If you are uninsured
or have high medical costs, please contact ____ (name of person
responsible for discount payment policy) at ____ (area code and
begin delete phone end delete begin insert telephone end insert number) for information on discounts and
programs for which you may be eligible, including the Medi-Cal
program. If you have coverage, please tell us so that we may bill
your plan.”

(2) If the emergency physician or the assignee of the emergency
physician lacks the capacity to provide the notice specified in
paragraph (1), the emergency physician or his or her assignee shall
be deemed to have complied with the notice requirements of this
section if the information required under this section is provided
upon request and if the following is printed on the bill in 14-point
bold type: “If uninsured or high medical bill, call re: discount.”

begin delete SEC. 6. end delete
begin insert SEC. 7. end insert   

Section 127455 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

127455.  

(a) Each emergency physician shall have a written
policy about when and under whose authority patient debt is
advanced for collection.

(b) Each emergency physician shall establish a written policy
defining standards and practices for the collection of debt, and
shall obtain a written agreement from any agency that collects
emergency physician receivables that it will adhere to the
emergency physician’s standards and scope of practice. This
agreement shall require the affiliate, subsidiary, or external
collection agency of the physician that collects the debt to comply
with the physician’s definition and application of a reasonable
payment plan, as defined in subdivision (k) of Section 127450.
The policy shall not conflict with other applicable laws and shall
not be construed to create a joint venture between the emergency
physician and the external entity, or otherwise to allow physician
and surgeon governance of an external entity that collects physician
and surgeon receivables. In determining the amount of a debt the
emergency physician may seek to recover from patients who are
eligible under the emergency physician’s charity care policy or
discount payment policy, the emergency physician may consider
only income and monetary assets as limited by Section 127452.

(c) For a patient that lacks coverage, or for a patient that
provides information that he or she may be a patient with high
medical costs, the emergency physician, an assignee of the
emergency physician, or other owner of the patient debt, including
a collection agency, shall not report adverse information to a
consumer credit reporting agency or commence civil action against
the patient for nonpayment at any time prior to 150 days after
initial billing.

(d) If a patient is attempting to qualify for eligibility under the
emergency physician’s discount payment policy and is attempting
in good faith to settle an outstanding bill begin delete with the physician and
surgeon by negotiating a reasonable payment plan or by making
regular partial payments of a reasonable amount, end delete begin insert and no agreement
can be made on the amount of payment, the emergency physician
or his or her assignee shall apply the reasonable payment plan
formula in subdivision (k) of Section 127450, and end insert the emergency
physician or his or her assignee, including a collection agency,
shall not report adverse information to a consumer credit agency
or commence a civil action unless that entity has agreed to comply
with this article.

(e) (1) The emergency physician or other assignee shall not, in
dealing with patients eligible under the emergency physician’s
discount payment policies, use wage garnishments or liens on
primary residences as a means of collecting unpaid emergency
physician bills.

(2) A collection agency or other assignee shall not, in dealing
with any patient under the emergency physician’s discount payment
policy, use as a means of collecting unpaid emergency physician
bills, any of the following:

(A) A wage garnishment, except by order of the court upon
noticed motion, supported by a declaration filed by the movant
identifying the basis for its belief that the patient has the ability to
make payments on the judgment under the wage garnishment, that
the court shall consider in light of the size of the judgment and
additional information provided by the patient prior to, or at, the
hearing concerning the patient’s ability to pay, including
information about probable future medical expenses based on the
current condition of the patient and other obligations of the patient.

(B) Notice or conduct a sale of the patient’s primary residence
during the life of the patient or his or her spouse, or during the
period a child of the patient is a minor, or a child of the patient
who has attained the age of majority is unable to take care of
himself or herself and resides in the dwelling as his or her primary
residence. In the event a person protected by this paragraph owns
more than one dwelling, the primary residence shall be the dwelling
that is the patient’s current homestead, as defined in Section
704.710 of the Code of Civil Procedure begin insert , end insert or was the patient’s
homestead at the time of the death of a person other than the patient
who is asserting the protections of this paragraph.

(3) This requirement does not preclude the emergency physician,
collection agency, or other assignee from pursuing reimbursement
and any enforcement remedy or remedies from third-party liability
settlements, tortfeasors, or other legally responsible parties.

(f) Extended payment plans offered by an emergency physician
to assist patients eligible under the emergency physician’s discount
payment policy or any other policy adopted by the emergency
physician for assisting low-income patients with no insurance or
high medical costs in settling outstanding past due emergency
physician bills, shall be interest free. The emergency physician’s
extended payment plan may be declared no longer operative after
the patient’s failure to make all consecutive payments due during
a 90-day period. Before declaring the emergency physician’s
extended payment plan no longer operative, the emergency
physician, collection agency, or assignee shall make a reasonable
attempt to contact the patient by telephone, if the telephone number
is known, and to give notice in writing that the extended payment
plan may become inoperative, and of the opportunity to renegotiate
the extended payment plan. Prior to the emergency physician’s
extended payment plan being declared inoperative, the emergency
physician, collection agency, or assignee shall attempt to
renegotiate the terms of the defaulted extended payment plan, if
requested by the patient. The emergency physician, collection
agency, or assignee shall not report adverse information to a
consumer credit reporting agency or commence a civil action
against the patient or responsible party for nonpayment prior to
the time the extended payment plan is declared to be no longer
operative. For purposes of this section, the notice and telephone
call to the patient may be made to the last known telephone number
and address of the patient.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to diminish or
eliminate any protections consumers have under existing federal
and state debt collection laws, or any other consumer protections
available under state or federal law. If the patient fails to make all
consecutive payments for 90 days and fails to renegotiate a
payment plan, this subdivision does not limit or alter the obligation
of the patient to make payments on the obligation owing to the
emergency physician pursuant to any contract or applicable statute
from the date that the extended payment plan is declared no longer
operative, as set forth in subdivision (f).