HOUSE BILL No. 5094

 

October 23, 2013, Introduced by Rep. Lori and referred to the Committee on Insurance.

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

 

"Public health code,"

 

(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding section 21517.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 21517. (1) A hospital that uses a charge description

 

master shall make its charge description master available by

 

posting an electronic copy of the charge description master on the

 

hospital's internet website. If the hospital has no website, it

 

shall make a written or electronic copy available at the hospital

 

location. A hospital shall also post a clear and conspicuous notice

 

in its emergency department, if any, admissions office, and billing

 

office informing patients that the hospital's charge description

 

master is available in the manner described in this subsection. A

 


hospital shall not enter into any contract that prevents it from

 

making its charge description master available as required in this

 

subsection.

 

     (2) Any person may file a claim with the department alleging a

 

violation of this section. The department shall investigate and

 

inform the complaining person of its determination whether a

 

violation has occurred and what action it will take. The department

 

may impose an administrative fine of up to $1,000.00 per day for a

 

violation of this section.

 

     (3) As used in this section, "charge description master" means

 

a uniform schedule of charges represented by the hospital as its

 

gross billed charge for a given service or item, regardless of

 

payer type.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 1 year

 

after the date it is enacted into law.