This bill requires hospitals to use unique identifiers when billing for services provided at off-campus outpatient departments, aiming to make medical billing more transparent for patients and insurers. Under the law, group health plans and insurers cannot pay claims from hospitals for services at these off-site outpatient locations unless the claim includes a distinct identifier showing exactly where the care was provided. Hospitals are also barred from billing patients directly for such services unless they have obtained and used this identifier. The bill directs the Department of Labor to create a system for reporting suspected violations within one year of enactment and allows the Secretary to impose daily fines, ranging from $300 for small hospitals with 30 or fewer beds to $5,500 for larger hospitals, for noncompliance. The changes would take effect for health plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and the Department of Labor is tasked with issuing regulations to implement the law.
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