Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill into law that will require hospitals to provide an itemized bill when billing for medical services.
The new law is set to take effect Sept. 1, according to the Texas legislature's website.
Currently, patients can request an itemized bill but cannot get it automatically. Under the new law, the itemized bill will have to include the amount the hospital will accept as full payment for each service or supply, a plain language description of the charge, and the billing codes and costs provided to third parties involved in reimbursement.
The new law applies to hospitals and healthcare facilities, but not to physicians or federally qualified healthcare facilities.