An Act To Improve Transparency of Medical Billing
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0951
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: BENNETT, STEWART, ARFORD, MORRIS
Amends: 22 MRSA §1718-C, 22 MRSA §1718-G

Legislative Document
No. 951
S.P. 303
In Senate, March 9, 2021
An Act To Improve Transparency of Medical Billing
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BENNETT of Oxford.
Cosponsored by Senator: STEWART of Aroostook, Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, 
MORRIS of Turner.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1718-C, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 560, §2, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place:
§1718-C.  Estimate of total price of a single medical encounter for a patient; services 
in medical offices or laboratories
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context indicates otherwise, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Health care" has the same meaning as in section 1711-C, subsection 1, paragraph 
C.
B.  "Health care entity" has the same meaning as in section 1718-B, subsection 1, 
paragraph B.
C.  "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in section 1711-C, subsection 
1, paragraph F.
D.  "Medical office" means a location used by health care practitioners to examine and 
consult with patients.  "Medical office" does not include a facility licensed under 
chapter 405, except to the extent the facility provides services to patients that do not 
require hospitalization.
2.  Uninsured patients.  Upon the request of an uninsured patient, a health care entity 
shall provide within a reasonable time of the request an estimate of the total price of medical 
services to be rendered directly by that health care entity during a single medical encounter.  
If the health care entity is unable to provide an accurate estimate of the total price of a 
specific medical service because the amount of the medical service to be consumed during 
the medical encounter is unknown in advance, the health care entity shall provide a brief 
description of the basis for determining the total price of that particular medical service.  If 
a single medical encounter will involve medical services to be rendered by one or more 
3rd-party health care entities, the health care entity shall identify each 3rd-party health care 
entity to enable the uninsured patient to seek an estimate of the total price of medical 
services to be rendered directly by each health care entity to that patient. When providing 
an estimate as required by this subsection, a health care entity shall also notify the uninsured 
patient of any charity care policy adopted by the health care entity.
3. All patients; medical offices and laboratories.  Notwithstanding subsection 2, 
prior to the provision of health care, including laboratory services, in a medical office or 
by a laboratory, a health care practitioner or laboratory shall inform a patient of the cost of 
such care or services.  Health care and laboratory costs include but are not limited to 
professional service fees, facility fees and any other fees or costs associated with the 
provision of the health care or laboratory service to the patient.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §1718-G is enacted to read:
§1718-G.  Prohibition on late medical bills
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Collection action" has the same meaning as in Title 32, section 11002, subsection 
1-A.
B. "Health care entity" has the same meaning as in section 1718-B, subsection 1, 
paragraph B.
2. Prohibition on late billing.  A health care entity may not bill a responsible party for 
the first time for a medical service that occurred more than one year earlier.  A responsible 
party who receives a bill for the first time for a medical service that occurred more than 
one year earlier is not obligated to pay the bill.  The health care entity may not initiate a 
collection action against the responsible party for a medical service that occurred more than 
one year earlier if the health care entity had not billed the responsible party within one year 
of the medical service in accordance with this section.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that:
1.  A health care practitioner or laboratory providing health care or laboratory services 
in a medical office or laboratory must inform patients of the cost of such care or services 
prior to provision of that care or those services; and
2.  A health care entity may not bill a responsible party for the first time for a medical 
service that occurred more than one year earlier.  It provides that a responsible party who 
receives a bill for a medical service for the first time for a medical service that occurred 
more than one year earlier is not obligated to pay the bill.  It further provides that a health 
care entity may not initiate a collection action against the responsible party if the health 
care entity had not billed the responsible party within one year of the medical service.