§ 9484. Public education and information

(a) Each large health care facility shall publicize its financial assistance policy widely by:

(1) making the financial assistance policy and application form easily accessible online through the facility’s website and through any patient portal or other online communication portal used by the facility’s patients;

(2) providing paper copies of the financial assistance policy and application form upon request at no charge, both by mail and at the facility’s office; for hospitals, copies shall also be available in the hospital‘s patient reception and admissions areas and in the locations in which patient billing and financial assistance services are provided;

(3) providing oral and written translations of the financial assistance policy upon request;

(4) notifying and informing members of the community served by the facility about the financial assistance policy in a manner reasonably calculated to reach the members of the community who are most likely to need financial assistance, including members who are non-native English speakers, provided that these efforts shall be commensurate with the facility’s size and income; and

(5) conspicuously displaying notices of and information regarding the financial assistance policy in the facility’s offices; for hospitals, the notices and information shall be posted in the hospital’s patient reception and admissions areas and in the locations in which patient billing and financial assistance services are provided.

(b) Each large health care facility shall directly notify individuals who receive care from the facility about the facility’s financial assistance policy by, at a minimum:

(1) offering a paper copy of the financial assistance policy to each patient as part of the patient’s first visit or, in the case of a hospital, during the intake and discharge processes; and

(2) including a conspicuous written notice on billing statements, whether sent by the facility or by a medical debt collector, stating that financial assistance is available to some patients based on income and including:

(A) a telephone number that the patient can call to request a financial assistance application and to receive information about the financial assistance policy and the application process; and

(B) the specific website address at which copies of the policy and application are available.

(c) All written or oral attempts by a medical creditor or medical debt collector to collect a medical debt arising from health care services delivered by a large health care facility shall include information for the patient about the relevant financial assistance policy or policies. (Added 2021, No. 119 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2022.)