In the District of Columbia, a bill, DC 26-438 was introduced that would impact medical debt in Washington. As introduced, the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025 (DC Bill 26-438) would:
- Require facilities to offer payment plans to low-income patients with unpaid medical bills.
- Prohibit the reporting of medical debt to credit reporting agencies.
- Prohibit wage garnishments and home liens for medical debt.
- Prohibit lawsuits and collection actions in certain cases.
- Establish uniform income eligibility criteria and require documentation to provide income.
- Require facilities to provide good faith estimates about the cost of healthcare services to patients before treatment, except in emergency circumstance.
- Grant enforcement power to DC Health and the Office of the Attorney General.
The bill, DC 26-438, was announced shortly before the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau released an interpretive rule that issued new guidance prohibiting states from removing medical debt from consumers’ credit reports.
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