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2022 SESSION

22101862D
HOUSE BILL NO. 481
Offered January 12, 2022
Prefiled January 11, 2022
A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-137.05 of the Code of Virginia, relating to hospitals; price transparency.
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Patrons-- Helmer, Adams, D.M., Fariss, Hudson, Anderson, Bennett-Parker, Bulova, Clark, Glass, Jenkins, LaRock, Rasoul, Subramanyam and Webert; Senator: Bell
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Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 32.1-137.05 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 32.1-137.05. Information regarding standard charges; advance estimate of patient payment amount for elective procedure, test, or service.

A. Every hospital shall make available to the public on its website (i) a machine-readable file containing a list of all standard charges for all items and services provided by the hospital and (ii) a list of standard charges for the 300 most frequently provided services and items, which shall include as many of the 70 services required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to be made available to the public as the hospital offers and which shall be made available in plain language and in a format that easily accessible by the public.

B. Every hospital shall, upon request of a patient scheduled to receive an elective procedure, test, or service to be performed by the hospital, or upon request of such patient's legally authorized representative, made no less than three days in advance of the date on which such elective procedure, test, or service is scheduled to be performed, furnish the patient with an estimate of the payment amount for which the participant will be responsible for such elective procedure, test, or service. Every hospital shall provide written information about the patient's ability to request an estimate of the payment amount pursuant to this section. Such written information shall be posted conspicuously in public areas of the hospital, including admissions or registration areas, and included on any website maintained by the hospital.