House orders interim study of health-care billing timelines to boost transparency for patients

The House adopted House Bill 12 26 on Feb. 27, 2025 to instruct the statewide Health Care Review Committee to study health-care billing practices, focusing on delayed and opaque billing timelines that patients report experiencing.

Representative Johnson, the bill sponsor, said the proposal places a study on an existing interim committee's agenda and carries a $0 fiscal note because it uses a committee already in rule. Johnson cited constituent reports of bills arriving "2 to 3 years later, 6 years later, 10 years later," and said the study will ask stakeholders to explain why delayed medical billing occurs.

Representative Paschal spoke in support and stressed consumer-protection and transparency goals. Representative Weinberg asked why a bill is needed to place the issue on the committee agenda; Johnson replied the bill formally ensures the issue will not be overlooked during interim work.

Action and outcome

The House adopted the Health and Human Services Committee report and moved the bill forward on the floor. The presiding officer announced that "House bill 25 12 26 as amended is adopted." Sponsors said the next step is to convene stakeholders in a public forum during the interim to collect data and identify policy options.

Why it matters

Supporters framed the measure as consumer protection intended to gather data and produce policy options for reducing surprise or delayed medical billing. Because the bill uses an existing committee and carries no fiscal note, sponsors described it as a first step to examine causes and possible remedies.