Bill H.2029

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2483 FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2029

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James J. O'Day and Brian A. Joyce

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act regarding notification of patient observations status.

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PETITION OF:

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
James J. O'Day	14th Worcester	1/15/2015
Brian A. Joyce	Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth	2/4/2015
Daniel M. Donahue	16th Worcester	10/10/2019
Alan Silvia	7th Bristol	10/10/2019
Denise Provost	27th Middlesex	10/10/2019
RoseLee Vincent	16th Suffolk	10/10/2019
Chris Walsh	6th Middlesex	10/10/2019
Michael O. Moore	Second Worcester	10/10/2019
Anne M. Gobi	Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex	10/10/2019
Mary S. Keefe	15th Worcester	10/10/2019
Bruce E. Tarr	First Essex and Middlesex	10/10/2019
Kay Khan	11th Middlesex	10/10/2019
James B. Eldridge	Middlesex and Worcester	10/10/2019
Carolyn C. Dykema	8th Middlesex	10/10/2019
Carmine L. Gentile	13th Middlesex	10/10/2019
Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.	26th Middlesex	10/10/2019
Jay D. Livingstone	8th Suffolk	10/10/2019
John J. Mahoney	13th Worcester	10/10/2019
Marc R. Pacheco	First Plymouth and Bristol	10/10/2019
Paul A. Schmid, III	8th Bristol	10/10/2019
Danielle W. Gregoire	4th Middlesex	10/10/2019
Carole A. Fiola	6th Bristol	10/10/2019
Michael J. Moran	18th Suffolk	10/10/2019

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2483 FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2029

By Representative O’Day of West Boylston and Senator Joyce, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2029) of James J. O’Day, Brian A. Joyce and others that hospitals be required to provide certain patients in inpatient or observation status oral and written notice of such placement. Public Health.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act regarding notification of patient observations status.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 51J the following section:

Section 51K. (a) Each hospital shall provide each patient that the hospital places in inpatient or observation status oral and written notice of such placement not later than twenty-four hours after such placement, unless such patient has been discharged or has left the hospital prior to the expiration of the twenty-four hour period. Such oral and written notices shall include

(1) a statement whether the patient has been admitted to the hospital as an inpatient or is in observation status;

(2) a statement that observation status may affect the patient’s Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance coverage for

(A) hospital services, including medication and pharmaceutical supplies; or

(B) skilled nursing facility care following the patient’s discharge; and

(3) a recommendation that the patient contact his or insurance plan to better understand the implications of being placed in observation status.

(b) The written notice described in subsection (a) of the section shall be signed and dated by the patient receiving the notice or such patient’s legal or other authorized representative.