The Florida Senate

395.301  Itemized patient bill; form and content prescribed by the agency.--

(1)  A licensed facility not operated by the state shall notify each patient during admission and at discharge of his or her right to receive an itemized bill upon request. Within 7 days following discharge or release from a licensed facility not operated by the state, or within 7 days after the earliest date at which the loss or expense from the service may be determined, the licensed facility providing the service shall, upon request, submit to the patient, or to the patient's survivor or legal guardian as may be appropriate, an itemized statement detailing in language comprehensible to an ordinary layperson the specific nature of charges or expenses incurred by the patient, which in the initial billing shall contain a statement of specific services received and expenses incurred for such items of service, enumerating in detail the constituent components of the services received within each department of the licensed facility and including unit price data on rates charged by the licensed facility, as prescribed by the agency.

(2)  Each such statement:

(a)  May not include charges of hospital-based physicians if billed separately.

(b)  May not include any generalized category of expenses such as "other" or "miscellaneous" or similar categories.

(c)  Shall list drugs by brand or generic name and not refer to drug code numbers when referring to drugs of any sort.

(d)  Shall specifically identify therapy treatment as to the date, type, and length of treatment when therapy treatment is a part of the statement. Any person receiving a statement pursuant to this section shall be fully and accurately informed as to each charge and service provided by the institution preparing the statement.

(3)  On each such itemized statement there shall appear the words "A FOR-PROFIT (or NOT-FOR-PROFIT or PUBLIC) HOSPITAL (or AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER) LICENSED BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA" or substantially similar words sufficient to identify clearly and plainly the ownership status of the licensed facility. Each itemized statement must prominently display the phone number of the medical facility's patient liaison who is responsible for expediting the resolution of any billing dispute between the patient, or his or her representative, and the billing department.

(4)  An itemized bill shall be provided once to the patient's physician at the physician's request, at no charge.

(5)  In any billing for services subsequent to the initial billing for such services, the patient, or the patient's survivor or legal guardian, may elect, at his or her option, to receive a copy of the detailed statement of specific services received and expenses incurred for each such item of service as provided in subsection (1).

(6)  No physician, dentist, podiatric physician, or licensed facility may add to the price charged by any third party except for a service or handling charge representing a cost actually incurred as an item of expense; however, the physician, dentist, podiatric physician, or licensed facility is entitled to fair compensation for all professional services rendered. The amount of the service or handling charge, if any, shall be set forth clearly in the bill to the patient.

History.--ss. 26, 30, ch. 82-182; ss. 29, 98, ch. 92-289; s. 729, ch. 95-148; s. 183, ch. 98-166.

Note.--Former s. 395.015.