Hospitals in Colorado will soon face a ban on pursuing debt collections against patients if they do not post their prices online – following legislation signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, reports Colorado Politics.
Beginning in August, the new law prohibits hospitals not following federal price transparency laws from using debt collectors, filing negative credit reports against patients and obtaining state court judgements for outstanding debts. Noncompliant hospitals can still bill patients, but if they pursue collection actions, they must refund any debt paid by the patient, in addition to all legal fees.
“We are making sure that when Coloradans go to the doctor, they don’t end up with surprise bills for getting the care they need, and that hospital pricing is available to increase competition and drive down costs,” Polis said. “We are taking a major step forward to keep money in the pockets of hardworking Coloradans.” Read more.
