(a) All hospitals and all nursing homes shall include on their admission forms a question as to whether a person is a veteran or the spouse of a veteran. All hospitals shall include on their admission forms a conspicuous notice that a self-pay patient may, upon request, receive a copy of the hospital charges related to such patient. Such admission forms shall also include a conspicuous notice specifying the name and contact information of a person whom the patient may contact to request a copy of the hospital charges related to the patient.

(b) All hospitals shall include in their bills to patients, and to third party payors unless previously furnished, (1) an explanation of any items identified by any code or by initials, and (2) the hospital's cost-to-charge ratio. Upon request by a self-pay patient, a hospital shall provide such patient with an itemized bill not later than thirty days after the date of such request. Such itemized bill shall identify, in plain language pursuant to chapter 742, each individual service, supply or medication provided to the patient by the hospital and the specific charge for such service, supply or medication.

(c) No nursing home may bill a patient or third party payor an amount for telephone service, community antenna television service or other telecommunications service, which amount includes a surcharge or administrative fee or which otherwise exceeds the amount paid by the nursing home to provide such service.

(P.A. 77-48; P.A. 86-14; P.A. 99-87, S. 1, 2; P.A. 02-92, S. 3; P.A. 16-95, S. 5.)

History: Sec. 19-590a transferred to Sec. 19a-509 in 1983; P.A. 86-14 inserted new provision re inclusion of veteran status question on hospital forms as Subsec. (a) and designated prior provision as Subsec. (b); P.A. 99-87 added new Subsec. (c) re utility charges for nursing home patients, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 02-92 amended Subsec. (a) to require hospitals to include on admission forms conspicuous notices re self-pay patients, and amended Subsec. (b) to require hospitals to provide self-pay patients with an itemized bill and to specify contents of such bill, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 16-95 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provision re explanation of items identified by code or initials as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re cost-to-charge ratio.