§ 25-5-3-503

(1) Beginning September 1, 2022, if a patient is screened pursuant to section 25.5-3-502 and is determined to be a qualified patient, a health-care facility and a licensed health-care professional shall, for emergency hospital and other health-care services: (a) Limit the amounts charged to not more than the discounted rate established in state department rule pursuant to section 25.5-3-505 (2)(j);(b) Collect amounts charged, not including amounts owed by third-party payers, in monthly installments such that the patient is not paying more than four percent of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from a health-care facility, not paying more than two percent of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from each licensed health-care professional, and not paying more than six percent of the patient's household income on a comprehensive bill containing all health-care facility and licensed health-care professional charges; and(c) After a cumulative thirty-six months of payments, consider the patient's bill paid in full and permanently cease any and all collection activities on any balance that remains unpaid.(2) A health-care facility shall not:(a) Deny discounted

payments, consider the patient's bill paid in full and permanently cease any and all collection activities on any balance that remains unpaid.(2) A health-care facility shall not:(a) Deny discounted care on the basis that the patient has not applied for any public benefits program, unless during the initial screening the patient is determined to be presumptively eligible for the state medical assistance program; or(b) Adopt or maintain any policies that result in the denial of admission or treatment of a patient because the patient lacks health insurance coverage, may qualify for discounted care, requires extended or long-term treatment, or has an unpaid medical bill.(3) The licensed health-care professional who provides services to a patient pursuant to this part 5 is responsible for billing the patient for those services, unless the services are billed on a comprehensive bill issued by a health-care facility.(4) For the purposes of this part 5, 'emergency hospital and other health-care services' does not include primary care provided in a clinic located in a designated rural or frontier county that offers a sliding-fee scale as approved by the state department.Amended by 2024

-care services' does not include primary care provided in a clinic located in a designated rural or frontier county that offers a sliding-fee scale as approved by the state department.Amended by 2024 Ch. 300,§ 2, eff. 8/7/2024.Amended by 2022 Ch. 203, § 2, eff. 5/20/2022.Added by 2021 Ch. 435, § 1, eff. 9/7/2021.L. 2021: Entire part added, (HB 21-1198), ch. 2876, p. 2876 § 1, effective September 7.2024 Ch. 300, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3). 2021 Ch. 435, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).