,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dcej ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #bi1 #bjbj ,mr4 ,van ,hollen 7for himself and ,mr4 ,murphy7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to provide immediate relief for patients from certain medical debt collection efforts during and immediately after the ,,covid-#ai public health emergency4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,covid-#ai ,medical ,debt ,collection ,relief ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,relief from medical debt collection 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,covered period ,the term covered period means the period beginning on ,february #a1 #bjbj1 and ending on the date that is the later of-- 7,a7 the end of the incident period with respect to the emergency involving ,federal primary responsibility determined to exist by the ,president under section #eja7;b7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaia7;b77 with respect to the coronavirus disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai72 or 7,b7 #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,covered provider ,the term covered provider means any entity or individual that-- 7,a7 provides health care services to patients2 and 7,b7 has applied for or accepted any ,federal funds for ,,covid-#ai health care costs or financial relief1 including funds allocated under the ,families ,first ,coronavirus ,response ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-abg71 the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf71 or any other ,federal law that allocates ,,covid-#ai relief funding4 7#c7 ,extraordinary collection actions ,the term extraordinary collection actions means the actions described in section #a4eja7r7-#f7;b7 of title #bf1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7#d7 ,medical debt ,the term medical debt means a debt arising from the receipt of medical services1 products1 or devices4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7b7 ,suspension of collection activities ,a covered provider and agents operating on behalf of covered providers shall suspend all extraordinary collection actions relating to the collection of a medical debt relating to a patient during the covered period4 7c7 ,suspension of repayment plans 7#a7 ,in general ,with respect to a patient who has entered into a repayment plan with a covered provider relating to a medical debt1 such provider shall suspend such repayment plan upon the request of the patient or the patient's guardian for the duration of the covered period1 and ensure the application of reasonable forbearance and repayment options when such repayments resume4 ,such options may include maintaining the same payment schedule with respect to the medical debt by extending the repayment period by the same period of time that payments were suspended under the previous sentence4 7#b7 ,interest and fees ,interest or fees shall not accrue during the period in which a payment plan is suspended under paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,application of certain consumer protections 7#a7 ,in general ,medical debt incurred during the period beginning on ,february #a1 #bjbj1 and ending on the date that is #fj days after the lifting of the state of emergency for ,,covid-#ai-related testing and treatment 7as determined by the ,secretary7 shall be subject to the following consumer protections3 7,a7 ,a one-year extension of ,federal and ,state health insurance appeal deadlines1 including the deadlines set forth in section #bgai of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg-#ai7 and sections #beij4gae through #bagi of title #bi1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 and the appeal and grievance deadlines for the denials of ,medicare or ,medicaid claims under titles ,,xviii and ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie and #acif et seq474 7,b7 ,a prohibition on the accrual and collection of fees and interest related to the medical debts involved4 7,c7 ,a prohibition on any extraordinary collection actions as described in section #a4eja7r7-#f7;b7 of title #bf1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7#b7 ,,covid-#ai-related testing and treatment ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 the term ,,covid-#ai-related testing and treatment includes items and services 7including in-person or telehealth visits in which such items and services are furnished7 that are furnished-- 7,a7 to an individual who has been diagnosed with 7or after the provision of such items and services is diagnosed with7 ,,covid-#ai to treat or mitigate the effects of ,,covid-#ai2 and 7,b7 to an individual who is presumed by a health care provider to have ,,covid-#ai but is never diagnosed as such4 7e7 ,penalties ,except as provided in this section1 a covered provider or its agent that fails to comply with any provision of this section with respect to a patient shall be liable to such patient for damages in an amount equal to the sum of-- 7#a7 any actual damages sustained by such patient as a result of such failure to comply2 7#b7 in the case of an action commenced-- 7,a7 by an individual1 any additional damages as the court may permit1 but not to exceed #a1jjj for each failure to comply2 or 7,b7 by a class of patients-- 7i7 such amount for each named plaintiff as could be recovered under paragraph 7#a7 and subparagraph 7,a72 and 7ii7 such amount as the court may allow for all other class members1 without regard to a minimum individual recovery1 not to exceed the lesser of #b1jjj1jjj or #a percent of the annual net income of the covered provider2 and 7#c7 in the case of any successful action under this section1 the costs of the action1 together with a reasonable attorney's fee as determined appropriate by the court4