AB 282 — Revises provisions relating to billing for health care. (BDR 40-785)

(ReprintedAssembly withBill amendmentsNo. adopted on April 21, 2025) FIRST REPRINT A.B.

282282–Assemblymember ASSEMBLYOrentlicher BILLCHAPTER.......... NO .

282–ASSEMBLYMEMBER O RENTLICHER FEBRUARY 24, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to billing for health care.

(BDR 40-785) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

May have Fiscal Impact.

Effect on the State:

Yes.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

requiring a medical facility or an entity that bills for care provided by a provider of health care whothat receives notice from a patient of an errorovercharge in a medical bill to review the potential errorovercharge and refund any overpayment;

authorizing the imposition of certain disciplinaryadministrative actionfines for the failure to complyissue with such requirements;a refund within a certain period;

requiring the Governor’s Consumer Health Advocate to provide certain assistance concerning medicalovercharges billingand errors;overpayments for health care;

LegislativeLegExisting Counsel’slaw Digest:provides every patient of a medical facility with the right to examine the bill for his or her care and receive an explanation of the bill.

(NRS 449A.106) Existing law providesalso everyrequires patienteach provider of ahealth medicalcare facility with the right to examinetimely theprovide billa forpatient hiswith oran heritemized carebill andat receiveno anadditional explanationcost ofto the bill.patient.

(NRS 629.071) Sections 2 and 3 of this bill, respectively, require a patientmedical withfacility or an itemizedentity billthat atbills nofor additionalcare costbill tocontains theone patient.or more overcharges to:

(NRS(1) 629.071)respond Sectionsto 2the andpatient 3concerning ofthedical thisovercharges, bill,including respectively,by requireproviding athe medicalcontact facilityinformation orfor providerthe ofOffice healthfor careConsumer thatHealth receivesAssistance noticein fromthe aDepartment patientof thatHealth aand medicalHuman billServices containsif onethe facility or moreprovider specificdoes billingnot errorsintend to:to refund the disputed charge;

(1)or respond(2) tonotify the patient concerningthat themore billingtime errors,is includingneeded by providing the contact information for the Office for Consumer Health Assistance in the Department of Health and Human Services if the facility or provider does not intend to refundinvestigate the disputed charge;charge.

orSections (2)2 notifyand the3 patientSections that2 and 3 provide for the disputedimposition chargeof isadministrative beingfines reviewed.against a medicalnt.

Sectionsfacility 2or andbilling 3entity requirethat thefails medical 2 requires the State Board of Health to establishissue bysuch regulation an administrativetion fine to impose on a medicalrefund. facility that violates section 2.

Section 32.5 authorizesof this bill requires the impositionGovernor’s ofConsumer disciplinaryHealth actionAdvocate, againstwho aserves provideras the head of healththe careOffice, whoto failsreview medical bills that consumers believe to complybe witherroneous theand requirementsassist ofconsumers sectionin 3.addressing overcharges and overpayments for health care.

SectionEXPLANATION 2.5 of this bill requires the Governor’s Consumer Health Advocate, who serves as the head of the Office, to - *AB282_R1* – 2Matter – review medical bills that consumers believe to be erroneous and assist consumers in addressingbolded medicalitalics billingis errors.new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

If a patient believes that a bill from a medical facility contains one or more billingovercharges errors and notifies the medical facility of the specific charges the patient believes are erroneous, the medical facility shall investigate the alleged errorovercharge and, not later than 30 days after notification:

(1)- Notifying83rd theSession patient(2025) whether– the2 medical– facilitycancelling will be refunding any amount of the bill;bill not yet paid or refunding anyll be overpayment;

and (2) If the medical facility will not be refundingcancelling or refunding, as applicable, the full amount of the disputed charges, providing the patient with the contact information for the Office for Consumer Health Assistance established pursuant to NRS 232.458;

or (b) Advise the patient that more time is needed to investigate the disputed chargecharge. and provide the patient an update to the investigation at least once every 30 days thereafter.

During the investigation of a disputed charge by a medical facility or any review of a disputed charge by the Office for Consumer Health Assistance, the medical facility shall not bill the patient for any care that is subject to the investigation or review, but may bill for charges the patient incurs relating to other carecarew, provided by the medical facility to the patient.

A medical facility that violatesfails thisto section:comply with subsection 4:

(a) Is subject to an administrative fine assessed by the Division at a rate establishedequal byto regulation10 bypercent of the Board;amount of the relevant overpayment, but not to exceed $5,000;

- *AB282_R1* – 3 – Sec.

(a) Respond to written and telephonic inquiries received from consumers and injured employees regarding concerns and problemsproblemsm related to health care and workers’ compensation;

(c) Identify and investigate complaints of consumers and injured employees regarding their health care plans, including, without limitation, the Public Employees’ Benefits Program, and policies of industrial- insurance83rd andSession assist(2025) those– consumers3 and– injured employees to resolve their complaints, including, without limitation:

(f) Take such actions as are necessary to ensure public awareness of the existence and purpose of the services provided by the Advocate pursuant to this section;

- *AB282_R1* – 4 – (2) Links to websites of Canadian pharmacies which have been recommended by the State Board of Pharmacy for inclusion on the InternetIn(3) A link to the website established and maintained pursuant to subsectionNRS 4439A.270 which provides information to the general public concerning the charges imposed and the quality of NRSthe 639.2328;services provided by the hospitals and surgical centers for ambulatory patients in this State;

and (3) A link to the website established and maintained pursuant to NRS 439A.270 which provides information to the general public concerning the charges imposed and the quality of the services provided by the hospitals and surgical centers for ambulatory patients in this State;

(k) Assist consumers with scheduling an appointment with a provider of health care who is in the network of providers under - 83rd Session (2025) – 4 – contract to provide services to participants in the health care plan under which the consumer is covered;

(m) Assist consumers with filing complaints with the Commissioner of Insurance against issuers of health care plans;

the [and] (n) Review bills from medical facilities and providers of health care that consumers believe to be erroneous, including, without limitation, after being contacted by a consumer pursuant to section 2 or 3 of this act, and assist consumers in dealing with medicalovercharges billingand errors;overpayments for health care;

(b) “Navigator, case manager or facilitator” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 687B.675.