UNDERSTANDING THE
PATIENT MEDICAL DEBT PROTECTION ACT
PROBLEM
Hospitals send patients unnecessarily
confusing and duplicative bills.
Non-profit hospitals sue patients for
outstanding bills long after a hospital
visit, charging 9% interest rates.
Patients are still on the hook for
surprise bills that result from provider
and plan misinformation.
Patients are charged for hospital
overhead, known as facility fees.
There is no uniform hospital financial
aid form, forcing financially needy
patients to jump through hoops to get
the assistance they need.
Waiver forms leave patients
responsible for unspecified and
unanticipated expenses.
To control costs, NY seeks to
establish a consumer-friendly website
to search and compare prices on
common procedures, known as an all
payer database.
ENACT S.6757/A.8639 & PROTECT PATIENTS!
EXAMPLE SOLUTION
Chandak G. went to the hospital for
One itemized bill, written in plain
kidney stones and got 27 different bills
language, delivered within 7 days after
from the ER, radiologist, and
every hospital visit. [Part A]
many others.
A patient was sued over five years after Reduce the statute of limitations for
his hospital stay; his bill totaled almost medical bills from six years to two years
$25,0000, including nearly $7,000 and reduce the maximum interest rate
in interest. to 3%. [Part F]
Claudia K. scheduled what she thought
was an in-network visit because her
Hold patients harmless for provider and
provider directory told her the doctor
plan misinformation. [Part G]
was in-network, and she was stuck
with a $101,000 medical bill.
Sintora S. went in for a mammogram,
expecting to be charged a Ban facility fees; patients should not be
co-pay, but then received a charged for hospital overhead. [Part B]
surprise $149 facility fee.
With no standardized form, patients
must go through different financial One uniform hospital financial
aid processes and forms when they form to be used by all hospitals in
go to different hospitals, creating New York. [Part E]
confusion and barriers to access.
Patients are on the hook for
Standardize patient financial liability
expensive medical care when
waiver forms. [Part C]
their rights are waived.
Some hospitals claim insurance
Require hospitals to allow insurance
companies cannot report cost data
carriers report cost data and allow
saying it’s “proprietary,” leaving
patients to easily compare prices on
patients disempowered to
common procedures. [Part D]
make well-informed choices.