Bill > SB1223

This bill amends the Fair Patient Billing Act to provide additional protections for patients with medical debt. The bill prohibits medical creditors and debt collectors from communicating with or initiating legal action against a patient regarding unpaid healthcare charges while an appeal of a health insurance decision is pending or was pending within the previous 180 days. It also establishes new provisions for medical debt interest, stipulating that patients eligible for financial assistance and on a reasonable payment plan will not incur interest charges, while patients ineligible for financial assistance will be subject to no more than 2% annual interest on their payment plans. The bill requires hospitals to proactively offer charity care information to uninsured patients and restricts collection actions against both insured and uninsured patients until certain conditions are met, such as providing opportunities to verify bill accuracy, apply for financial assistance, and establish reasonable payment plans. Hospitals must give patients at least 90 days to submit financial assistance applications and cannot refer bills to collection agencies without first offering payment plan options. The bill aims to protect patients from aggressive medical debt collection practices and provide more transparent and manageable pathways for resolving medical expenses.

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https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1223&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104