# Virginia HB1276: Health care providers; required estimate for nonemergency health care services.

Virginia HB1276, Health care providers; required estimate for nonemergency health care services., is a 2027 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Vivian E. Watts (Democratic); status passed house, last action 2026-07-21 (Continued from last session) (as of 2026-10-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1276-2027
- As of: 2026-10-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1276
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2027 Regular Session
- Title: Health care providers; required estimate for nonemergency health care services.
- Status: passed house
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-07-21, Continued from last session
- Sponsor: Vivian E. Watts (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Commerce and Labor
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Health care providers; required estimate for nonemergency health care services. Requires health care providers to provide a good faith estimate of the payment amount for which the patient will be responsible for such nonemergency health care service, including any fees or other charges for an item or service the patient may reasonably be expected to receive in connection with the nonemergency health care service. The bill requires the good faith estimate to include (i) description of the scheduled nonemergency health care service, (ii) the provider's standard charge for the service and any related item or service, (iii) the provider's standard charges and any contracted rates known at the time the estimate is prepared, and (iv) a statement that the estimate is not binding and the actual amount billed may differ depending on changes in the scope of services or the health carrier's processing of the claim.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Vivian E. Watts (Democratic), House

## Actions (15)

- 2026-07-21: Continued from last session (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Continued to 2027 in Commerce and Labor (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Committee substitute printed 26107734D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-12: Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (19-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-10: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #1 (House)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102349D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231331.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231330.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231190.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231189.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231145.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231144.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority, report. (in committee)
- HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements. (introduced)
- HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information. (introduced)
- SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset. (in committee)
- SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment. (in committee)
- SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion State Prison. (in committee)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231331.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231330.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231190.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231189.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231145.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231144.PDF)

## Related
- [SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority, report.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB844-2027)
- [HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1535-2027)
- [HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1534-2027)
- [SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB843-2027)
- [SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB842-2027)
- [SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB840-2027)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1276-2027 (as of 2026-10-13).