Local Government Code § 140.013

Sec. 140.013. BALANCE BILLING FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICES. (a) "Balance billing" means the practice of charging an enrollee in a health benefit plan to recover from the enrollee the balance of a health care provider's fee for a service received by the enrollee from the health care provider that is not fully reimbursed by the enrollee's health benefit plan. (b) A county or municipality may elect to consider a health benefit plan payment towards a claim for air or ground ambulance services provided by the county or municipality as payment in full for those services regardless of the amount the county or municipality charged for those services. (c) A county or municipality may not practice balance billing for a claim for which the county or municipality makes an election under Subsection (b). Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 585 (S.B. 790), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2021.