In late April the Oregon Senate passed a bill that would prevent medical debt from appearing on credit reports with Oregon SB 605. The bill now moves on to the House and is scheduled for a public session on May 15 and a work session on May 20 in the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, chaired by Representative Nathan Sosa (D).
With Oregon SB 605, consumer reporting agencies would be banned from including any medical debt in credit reports. Medical service providers like hospitals and clinics would be banned from notifying credit reporting agencies (CRAs) of money that is owed for care.
Oregon SB 605, which was introduced in mid-January, states that credit cards used for health care can still be included in credit reports unless the card was specifically used to pay for medical services. It is also noted that any violations to the new law could be subject to lawsuits as unlawful trade practices.
Legislation similar to Oregon SB 605 has been passed in other states like New York and Colorado, and now heads to the Oregon House for consideration. Americollect will continue to monitor this bill as it continues to advance.
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