H.B. No. 1612 introduces a new provision in the Health and Safety Code that mandates hospitals to accept direct payment from patients who are not enrolled in a health benefit plan for health care services. Specifically, the bill defines key terms such as "enrollee," "health benefit plan," "health care service," and "hospital." It stipulates that patients must request direct payment within 60 days of receiving a bill or final accounting for the services, and hospitals are required to inform patients of this option in their billing statements.

Additionally, the bill allows hospitals to charge patients amounts that do not exceed 25% more than the generally billed amounts or 50% more than the lowest contracted rate for services, excluding certain government programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Importantly, the legislation ensures that patients are still eligible for any charity care they may qualify for, regardless of their payment choice. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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