Assembly Bill 353 aims to enhance price transparency in hospitals and restrict certain debt collection actions against patients. The bill mandates that hospitals provide publicly accessible cost information for specific items and services, including a digital file of standard charges in a machine-readable format. This file must include details such as gross charges, payer-specific negotiated charges, and discounted cash prices. Additionally, hospitals are required to maintain a consumer-friendly list of at least 300 shoppable services, which must be updated annually and made available without requiring user accounts or personal information. The Department of Health Services (DHS) is tasked with enforcing these transparency requirements and monitoring hospital compliance.

Furthermore, the bill introduces penalties for hospitals that fail to comply with the price transparency requirements. It stipulates that any party seeking judgment against a patient for debts related to hospital services must certify that the hospital is compliant with the applicable price transparency standards. The bill also includes provisions for DHS to take corrective actions against non-compliant hospitals, such as issuing written notices or requesting corrective action plans. Overall, the legislation aims to improve transparency in hospital pricing and protect patients from aggressive debt collection practices when hospitals do not adhere to the established transparency standards.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 50.32, 50.33(intro.), 50.33, 50.33(3), 50.34, 50.36(1), 50.36, 50.39(1), 50.39, 50.39(2), 50.39(3), 50.39(4)