Get 10% off by entering
LowerBill
at check out *
*Conditions apply.
MEDICAL BILLING NEWS
Keep abreast of news and information on medical billing and its impact on patients and consumers.
2024, October
Investors have been buying up medical debt collectors. A proposal championed by Vice President Harris would make their jobs harder.
- The Washington Post
The Urban Institute's study finds that counties that experienced larger increases in hospital market concentration, experienced smaller declines in the share of residents with medical debt.
- Urban Institute
The Ground Ambulance & Patient Billing Advisory Committee, made up of health care advocates and officials, submitted the report to Congress detailing what should be done to address surprise medical billing by ground ambulances.
- Gray Media Group
Both candidates have health care records, but Donald Trump does not talk about his often on the campaign trail.
- NPR
Samantha and Ariane Buck have struggled with medical debt for years, making it difficult at times to provide for their children. A ballot measure in their state of Arizona to cap interest rates on medical debt passed overwhelmingly, fueled by support from Democrats and Republicans.
- NPR
The Government Accountability Office urged increased oversight of hospitals’ pricing data in a report released Oct. 2, 2024.
- Industry Dive
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued guidance to prevent families from being targeted by illegal medical debt collection tactics.
- Financial Regulation News Reports
The fees, which cover overhead costs, come in addition to cost of medical care by doctors and other providers
- Denver Post
- WBMA
As of October 1, medical debt will no longer be automatically transferred to one’s spouse, cannot be used to deny medically necessary care, can no longer be reported to credit reporting agencies. Ellison also announces debt fairness legal clinic to help Minnesotans struggling with medical debt
- Office of Minnesota Attorney General
Medical debt continues to burden millions of consumers, and the CFPB has made addressing this issue a central focus of our work.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The legislation prevents transferring a dead patient's medical debt to a surviving spouse and reporting unpaid medical bills to creditors, among other things.
- KARE 11
A call from a debt collector may add to the challenges that bereaved people are already dealing with. But spouses “should not assume that they have to pay.”
- NY Times
Caller demands payment for blood work that didn’t happen
- WRTV
Senate Bill 1061 by Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) will bar the inclusion of most medical bills on a credit report. Under the law, medical debt listed on a credit report will be prohibited from being considered a negative factor in decisions to extend credit.
- CBS News
Publicly owned ambulances in the state can still send patients surprise bills
- Denver Post
- FOX 31
Atrium Health says it will forgive medical debt and lift the liens it holds on their homes, a move expected to help thousands of North Carolinians.
- Charlotte Observer
“Based on the financial projections we’ve been able to do, it will save New Yorkers over a billion dollars each year,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger.
- Times Union
Private equity's expanding role in billing, tracking and collecting payments for health care is exacerbating America's medical debt problem, a new report from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project concludes.
- AXIOS
Consolidations throughout the health care system are giving rise to unexpected charges that experts say more and more patients are seeing on their bills.
- Spotlight PA
Hospital stays, surgeries, and treatments have racked up more than $200,000 in medical bills charged to a DeKalb County man’s health insurance. The problem is it wasn’t him.
- WSB TV2