Senate Assembly Bill 207 would require a health care facility or health care provider that itemizes a charge for use of the facility to notify a patient that it will impose the facility use charge and to provide the patient with a good faith estimate of that health care facility use charge. If the appointment for an office visit is made in person or by phone, the health care facility or health care provider must notify the patient of the charge and estimate orally at the time the appointment is made. If the appointment is not made in person or by phone, the health care facility or health care provider must notify the patient of the charge and estimate either orally or in writing as soon as the appointment is confirmed by the provider or facility. Any appointment reminder sent to the patient must contain information about any facility use charge and a good faith estimate of the charge. The health care facility or health care provider must also, on any bill imposing the charge, identify the facility use charge as a “facility fee.”
The Assembly Committee on Public Health will hold a hearing to discuss the bill on Tuesday, December 1. Text of the proposed bill can be accessed here.