DEFINITIONS

In this chapter: (1) "Average charge" means the mathematical average of facility charges for an inpatient admission or outpatient surgical procedure. The term does not include charges for a particular inpatient admission or outpatient surgical procedure that exceed the average by more than two standard deviations. (2) "Billed charge" means the amount a facility charges for an inpatient admission, outpatient surgical procedure, or health care service or supply. (3) "Costs" means the fixed and variable expenses incurred by a facility in the provision of a health care service. (4) "Consumer" means any person who is considering receiving, is receiving, or has received a health care service or supply as a patient from a facility. The term includes the personal representative of the patient. (5) "Department" means the Department of State Health Services. (5-a) "Estimate" means a written statement outlining a consumer's total expected billed charges for a nonemergency elective medical service or procedure. (6) "Executive commissioner" means the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. (7) "Facility" means: (A) an ambulatory surgical center licensed under Chapter 243; (B) a birthing center licensed under Chapter 244; (C) a hospital licensed under Chapter 241; or (D) a freestanding emergency medical care facility, as defined in Section 254.001, including a freestanding emergency medical care facility that is exempt from the licensing requirements of Chapter 254 under Section 254.052(8). (8) "Facility-based physician" means a radiologist, an anesthesiologist, a pathologist, an emergency department physician, a neonatologist, or an assistant surgeon.