SB245:

Public hospitals; medical debt collection practices.

Bill Summary:

Public hospitals; medical debt collection practices. Requires the University of Virginia Medical Center (the Medical Center) and the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority) to make payment plans available to each person who incurs a debt related to medical treatment. The bill (i) requires that such payment plans be provided in writing and cap monthly payments at no more than five percent of the person's household income, (ii) provides that the first payment under such payment plan shall not be due until a date that is at least 90 days after the date on which treatment was provided or the date on which the person discharged, and (iii) provides that a person who has made at least 10 payments pursuant to the payment plan in a 12-month period shall be deemed to be in compliance with the payment plan. The bill also prohibits the Medical Center and the Authority from charging interest or late fees for medical debt, requires the Medical Center and Authority to make information available in writing in languages other than English spoken in the service area and via oral translation service for other languages, prohibits the Medical Center and the Authority from selling medical debt to any person other than an organization that purchases medical debt for the purpose of paying such debt in full, and requires the Medical Center and the Authority to establish a Financial Assistance Ombudsman Office to assist patients and other persons with issues related to financial assistance, payment plans, and debt collection. This bill was incorporated into SB 201.