BILL NUMBER: SB 1252	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Stone

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act to add Section 2320 to the Business and Professions Code,
and to add Section 1289.6 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to
health care costs.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1252, as introduced, Stone. Health care costs: patient
notification.
    Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the
State Department of Public Health of health facilities, including
general acute care hospitals and surgical clinics. The Medical Board
of California licenses and regulates physicians and surgeons, and the
Osteopathic Medical Board of California licenses and regulates
osteopathic physicians and surgeons.
   This bill would require, when a medical procedure is scheduled to
be performed on a patient, the general acute care hospital, surgical
clinic, and the attending physician, as applicable, to notify the
patient, in writing, of the net costs to the patient for the medical
procedure being done, as provided. For complex medical procedures or
screenings involving multiple physicians, the general acute care
hospital, surgical clinic, and attending physician, as applicable,
would be required to disclose, in writing, if any of the physicians
providing medical services to the patient are not contracted with the
patient's health care service plan or health insurer and the costs
for which the patient would be responsible as a result. The bill
would provide that a violation of these provisions by a physician and
surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon would constitute
unprofessional conduct, as provided.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 2320 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   2320.  (a) A violation of Section 1289.6 of the Health and Safety
Code constitutes unprofessional conduct.
   (b) Section 2314 does not apply to a violation under this section.

  SEC. 2.  Section 1289.6 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
   1289.6.  (a) When a medical procedure is scheduled to be performed
on a patient, the general acute care hospital, surgical clinic, and
the attending physician, as applicable, shall notify the patient, in
writing, of all of the following:
   (1) The net costs to the patient for the medical procedure being
done, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
   (A) Applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible.
   (B) The full cost of the medical procedure.
   (C) The range of costs for a stay in a general acute care hospital
or surgical clinic.
   (2) A complete and precise breakdown of the costs the patient's
health care service plan or health insurer will pay and the costs for
which the patient will be responsible.
   (b) For complex medical procedures or screenings involving
multiple physicians, the general acute care hospital, surgical
clinic, and attending physician, as applicable, shall disclose, in
writing, if any of the physicians providing medical services to the
patient are not contracted with the patient's health care service
plan or health insurer and the costs for which the patient will be
responsible as a result.
   (c) A violations of this section shall be exempt from the
provisions of Section 1290.
   (d) A violation of this section by an attending physician shall be
punishable pursuant to Section 2320 of the Business and Professions
Code.
   (e) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Attending physician" means a physician and surgeon or an
osteopathic physician and surgeon, licensed by the Medical Board of
California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California pursuant to
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code), who scheduled the medical procedure.
   (2) "General acute care hospital" has the same definition as
Section 1250.
   (3) "Surgical clinic" has the same definition as subdivision (b)
of Section 1204.