,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djcg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bc1 #bjbj,mrs4 ,loeffler introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act to protect the credit of patients with substantial medical bills4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,patient ,credit ,protection ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,credit protection for patients 7a7 ,information excluded from consumer reports 7#a7 ,in general ,section #fje7;a7 of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#i7 ,debts incurred in a collection account with a medical industry code if1 based on information furnished by the provider of medical treatment-- 7,a7 the consumer was covered by a health benefit plan at the time of the event giving rise to the collection2 and 7,b7 the collection is for an outstanding balance after the consumer's share of copayments1 deductibles1 and coinsurance owed for medical treatment have been paid or are being paid as part of a payment plan4 7#aj7 ,debts incurred by a consumer for payment for unconscionably excessive medical expenses for health care items and services furnished at a participating hospital 7as defined in section #ahfg7;e77#b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;dd7e77#b777-- 7,a7 without the express written consent of the provider of the health care items and services2 and 7,b7 without providing a fair opportunity for the consumer to challenge or appeal1 as defined by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 the cost of the medical bill or bills for such health care items and services as unconscionably excessive in the relevant1 private health care market 7including in the individual and group markets7 and prevent such reporting for costs to a consumer reporting agency by the collector of the debt that the ,secretary determines are unconscionably excessive in the relevant1 private health care market in accordance with guidance issued by the ,secretary pursuant to section #b7;a77#b7 of the ,patient ,credit ,protection ,act of #bjbj4 4 7#b7 ,guidance 7,a7 ,definitions ,in this paragraph-- 7i7 the terms consumer1 consumer report1 consumer reporting agency1 and ,federal banking agency have the meanings given those terms in section #fjc of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;a72 7ii7 the term participating hospital has the meaning given the term in section #ahfg7;e77#b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;dd7e77#b772 and 7iii7 the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7,b7 ,issuance ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,bureau of ,consumer ,financial ,protection1 the ,federal ,trade ,commission1 the ,federal banking agencies1 and the ,national ,credit ,union ,administration1 shall issue guidance to carry out paragraph 7#aj7 of section #fje7;a7 of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a771 as added by paragraph 7#a74 7,c7 ,contents ,the guidance issued under subparagraph 7,b7 shall provide-- 7i7 the circumstances under which a consumer with an outstanding balance for copayments1 deductibles1 coinsurance1 or other medical expenses for health care items or services furnished at a participating hospital may1 before the collector of the debt reports that balance to a consumer reporting agency1 challenge or appeal the cost of the medical bill or bills for those health care items and services as unconscionably excessive in the relevant1 private health care market1 including in the individual and group markets2 7ii7 that the determination of whether the costs described in clause 7i7 are unconscionably excessive shall be by the ,secretary made by taking into consideration information made public by hospitals pursuant to part #ahj of title #de1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor regulation2 7iii7 a framework for timely resolution if the costs described in clause 7i7 are determined to be unconscionably excessive2 7iv7 that in no case shall a consumer reporting agency be held liable for reporting information that violates paragraph 7#aj7 of section #fje7;a7 of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a771 as added by paragraph 7#a71 if they were not furnished with necessary information or did not have reason to know of such a violation2 and 7v7 that debts incurred by a consumer for payment for unconscionably excessive medical expenses in the process to challenge or appeal the cost of the medical bill or bills described in clause 7i7 shall not be reported to a consumer reporting agency until after a determination of the challenge or appeal has been made1 including if the process keeps medical debt from being reported to a consumer reporting agency beyond the a #ahj-;day waiting period before including medical debt on a consumer's credit report1 at which time if the medical debt is determined to not be unconscionably excessive1 the debt shall be immediately made available to the consumer reporting agency4 7,d7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this paragraph shall be interpreted to allow the ,secretary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of medical costs4 7b7 ,removal of impairment from medical debt ,section #faa of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;i7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7h7 ,removal of impairment from medical debt ,when notified that a debt incurred by an individual for payment for medical expenses has been paid in full or that such an individual is in regular compliance with a periodic payment plan between the provider and consumer to settle such debt1 any impairment resulting from that debt must be removed within #cj days4 4