Bill > SB371

This bill, known as the Medical Debt Collection Protection Act, establishes comprehensive protections for patients with medical debt in Pennsylvania. The legislation requires healthcare providers to first verify a patient's insurance status and screen them for potential public insurance options or financial assistance before pursuing any debt collection. The bill prohibits certain collection actions, such as placing liens on a patient's primary residence or reporting adverse information to credit agencies, and mandates that providers offer payment plans for qualified patients (those with household incomes at or below 300% of the Federal poverty level) with monthly installments limited to 4% of their net monthly income. Healthcare providers must also provide transparent pricing information on their websites, including gross charges and Medicare reimbursement rates, and communicate billing information in plain language at a sixth-grade reading level. The bill requires providers to make good faith settlement offers before initiating collection actions, prohibits late fees or additional collection costs, and establishes a complaint process through the Attorney General's office. For uninsured patients receiving emergency or medically necessary care, providers cannot charge more than the Medicare reimbursement rate. Additionally, the bill mandates a settlement conference before any medical debt collection lawsuit and ensures that patients cannot waive their rights under this legislation, providing robust consumer protections in medical billing and debt collection practices.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=371