STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Hall
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits medical creditors from reporting medical debt to credit reporting agency.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the reporting of medical debt to credit reporting agencies and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No medical creditor shall report any portion of a medical debt which is alleged to be unpaid to any collection or credit reporting agency, bureau, or data collection facility.
b. As used in this section:
"Health care provider" means an individual or entity which, acting within the scope of its licensure or certification, provides a health care service. Health care provider includes, but is not limited to, a physician, dentist and other health care professionals licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, and a hospital and other health care facilities licensed pursuant to Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
“Medical creditor” means any health care provider that provides health care services and to whom a consumer owes money for health care services, or any person who purchases a medical debt.
“Medical debt” means a debt arising from the receipt of health care services.
2. This act shall take effect on the 30th day next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits medical creditors from reporting any portion of a medical debt which is alleged to be unpaid, to any collection or credit reporting agency, bureau, or data collection facility.
Under the bill, a “medical creditor” is any health care provider that provides health care services and to whom the consumer owes money for health care services, or any person who purchases a debt arising from the receipt of health care services.