,,ii  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #dcej  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,july #bi1 #bjbj ,mr4  
,van ,holl5 7= himself & ,mr4 ,murphy7  
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read     
twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on       
,heal?1 ,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions  
,a ,,bill  ,to provide imm$iate relief =
 pati5ts f c]ta9 m$ical debt collection 
ef=ts dur+ & imm$iately aft] !          
,,covid-#ai public heal? em]g5cy4  #a4  
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,,covid-#ai ,m$ical ,debt ,collection   
,relief ,act ( #bjbj4  #b4 ,relief f    
m$ical debt collection  7a7 ,def9itions 
,9 ?is section3  7#a7 ,cov]$ p]iod ,!   
t]m cov]$ p]iod means ! p]iod beg9n+ on 
,febru>y #a1 #bjbj1 & end+ on ! date t  
is ! lat] (-- 7,a7 ! end ( ! incid5t    
p]iod ) respect to ! em]g5cy involv+    
,f$]al prim>y responsibility det]m9$ to 
exi/ by ! ,presid5t "u section #eja7;b7 
( ! ,rob]t ,t4 ,/af=d ,disa/] ,relief & 
,em]g5cy ,assi/ance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 
#eaia7;b77 ) respect to ! coronavirus   

disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai72 or  7,b7   
#ah mon?s aft] ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is  
,act4  7#b7 ,cov]$ provid] ,! t]m cov]$ 
provid] means any entity or individual  
t--  7,a7 provides heal? c>e s]vices to 
pati5ts2 &  7,b7 has appli$ = or accept$
 any ,f$]al funds = ,,covid-#ai heal?   
c>e co/s or f9ancial relief1 includ+    
funds allocat$ "u ! ,families ,fir/     
,coronavirus ,response ,act 7,public    
,law #aaf-abg71 ! ,,c>es ,act 7,public  
,law #aaf-acf71 or any o!r ,f$]al law t 
allocates ,,covid-#ai relief fund+4     
7#c7 ,extraord9>y collection actions ,! 
t]m extraord9>y collection actions means
 ! actions describ$ 9 section           
#a4eja7r7-#f7;b7 ( title #bf1 ,code (   
,f$]al ,regulations4  7#d7 ,m$ical debt 
,! t]m m$ical debt means a debt aris+ f 
! receipt ( m$ical s]vices1 products1 or
 devices4  7#e7 ,secret>y ,! t]m        
,secret>y means ! ,secret>y ( ,heal? &  
,human ,s]vices4  7b7 ,susp5sion (      
collection activities ,a cov]$ provid] &
 ag5ts op]at+ on behalf ( cov]$ provid]s

 %all susp5d all extraord9>y collection 
actions relat+ to ! collection ( a      
m$ical debt relat+ to a pati5t dur+ !   
cov]$ p]iod4  7c7 ,susp5sion ( repaym5t 
plans  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,) respect to a    
pati5t :o has ent]$ into a repaym5t plan
 ) a cov]$ provid] relat+ to a m$ical   
debt1 su* provid] %all susp5d su*       
repaym5t plan ^u ! reque/ ( ! pati5t or 
! pati5t's gu>dian = ! duration ( !     
cov]$ p]iod1 & ensure ! application (   
reasonable =be>ance & repaym5t options  
:5 su* repaym5ts resume4 ,su* options   
may include ma9ta9+ ! same paym5t s*$ule
 ) respect to ! m$ical debt by ext5d+ ! 
repaym5t p]iod by ! same p]iod ( "t t   
paym5ts 7 susp5d$ "u ! previ\s s5t5ce4  
7#b7 ,int]e/ & fees ,int]e/ or fees %all
 n accrue dur+ ! p]iod 9 :i* a paym5t   
plan is susp5d$ "u p>agraph 7#a74  7d7  
,application ( c]ta9 consum] protections
  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,m$ical debt incurr$    
dur+ ! p]iod beg9n+ on ,febru>y #a1     
#bjbj1 & end+ on ! date t is #fj days   
aft] ! lift+ ( ! /ate ( em]g5cy =       

,,covid-#ai-relat$ te/+ & treatm5t 7z   
det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y7 %all be subject 
to ! foll[+ consum] protections3 7,a7 ,a
 "o-ye> ext5sion ( ,f$]al & ,/ate heal? 
insurance appeal deadl9es1 includ+ !    
deadl9es set =? 9 section #bgai ( !     
,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg-#ai7 & sections       
#beij4gae ?r\gh #bagi ( title #bi1 ,code
 ( ,f$]al ,regulations1 & ! appeal &    
grievance deadl9es = ! d5ials ( ,m$ic>e 
or ,m$icaid claims "u titles ,,xviii &  
,,xix ( ! ,social ,security ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #acie & #acif et seq474  7,b7 
,a prohibition on ! accrual & collection
 ( fees & int]e/ relat$ to ! m$ical     
debts involv$4  7,c7 ,a prohibition on  
any extraord9>y collection actions z    
describ$ 9 section #a4eja7r7-#f7;b7 (   
title #bf1 ,code ( ,f$]al ,regulations4 
7#b7 ,,covid-#ai-relat$ te/+ & treatm5t 
,= purposes ( p>agraph 7#a71 ! t]m      
,,covid-#ai-relat$ te/+ & treatm5t      
includes items & s]vices 7includ+       
9-p]son or teleheal? visits 9 :i* su*   

items & s]vices are furni%$7 t are      
furni%$-- 7,a7 to an individual :o has  
be5 diagnos$ ) 7or aft] ! provision (   
su* items & s]vices is diagnos$ )7      
,,covid-#ai to treat or mitigate !      
effects ( ,,covid-#ai2 &  7,b7 to an    
individual :o is presum$ by a heal? c>e 
provid] to h ,,covid-#ai b is nev]      
diagnos$ z su*4  7e7 ,p5alties ,except z
 provid$ 9 ?is section1 a cov]$ provid] 
or its ag5t t fails to comply ) any     
provision ( ?is section ) respect to a  
pati5t %all be liable to su* pati5t =   
damages 9 an am\nt equal to ! sum (--   
7#a7 any actual damages su/a9$ by su*   
pati5t z a result ( su* failure to      
comply2  7#b7 9 ! case ( an action      
comm5c$--  7,a7 by an individual1 any   
additional damages z ! c\rt may p]mit1 b
 n to exce$ #a1jjj = ea* failure to     
comply2 or  7,b7 by a class ( pati5ts-- 
7i7 su* am\nt = ea* nam$ pla9tiff z c\ld
 be recov]$ "u p>agraph 7#a7 &          
subp>agraph 7,a72 &  7ii7 su* am\nt z ! 
c\rt may all[ = all o!r class memb]s1   

)\t reg>d to a m9imum individual        
recov]y1 n to exce$ ! less] ( #b1jjj1jjj
 or #a p]c5t ( ! annual net income ( !  
cov]$ provid]2 &  7#c7 9 ! case ( any   
successful action "u ?is section1 ! co/s
 ( ! action1 toge!r ) a reasonable      
attorney's fee z det]m9$ appropriate by 
! c\rt4