Health care: fair billing policies.

(1) Existing law requires a hospital, as defined, to maintain an understandable written policy regarding discount payments for financially qualified patients as well as a written charity care policy, and authorizes a hospital to negotiate the terms of a payment plan with a patient. Existing law requires that uninsured patients or patients with high medical costs who are at or below 350% of the federal poverty level be eligible for charity care or a discount payment policy from a hospital, as specified, and requires that specified patients be eligible for discount payments to an emergency physician. Existing law defines a patient with high medical costs as a person whose family income does…