Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2736

Introduced
2/5/26  
Refer
2/5/26  

Caption

Requiring hospitals to screen all patients for eligibility for such hospital's financial assistance program or charity care policy.

Impact

The implications of HB2736 could be far-reaching across the healthcare landscape. By mandating screenings for financial assistance eligibility prior to billing, the bill seeks to alleviate the financial burden on patients, thereby improving access to medical services for low-income individuals and families. It also requires hospitals to communicate financial assistance availability clearly on billing statements, which may help educate patients about their rights and available resources for covering medical expenses.

Summary

House Bill 2736 aims to reform hospital billing practices in Kansas by requiring non-disproportionate share hospitals to screen all patients for eligibility for financial assistance programs or charity care policies. The bill's intent is to ensure that patients are informed of their options for financial support before any debt collections are pursued by hospitals. This represents a significant shift in hospital billing practices, aligning them more closely with patients' financial capabilities and promoting greater access to necessary healthcare services.

Contention

Discussions surrounding the bill might emerge around the enforcement mechanisms and the responsibilities placed on hospitals. Supporters of the bill may argue that it is a necessary protection for vulnerable patients against potentially aggressive debt collection practices. Conversely, detractors could raise concerns about the administrative burden imposed on hospitals, potentially affecting operational efficiency and resources allocated for patient care. Additionally, questions may arise regarding the funding and support needed to implement the required screening processes adequately.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.