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Bill

H 4073

Helen Munnerlyn, retirement

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 121 co-sponsors

Limits medical-debt practices, protects patients from denial of medically necessary care over unpaid bills, and requires transparency and fee-shifting for successful defenses.

Introduced and adopted
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 4073

Summary — H 4073 (House Docket No. 2432)

Note: the available file includes two distinct texts (a Massachusetts bill entitled “An Act relative to fair medical debt reporting and collection” and a separate South Carolina House resolution honoring Helen Munnerlyn). The summary below focuses on the Massachusetts statutory changes in the bill text labeled House No. 4073. Verify the official legislative site for the authoritative version.

Purpose

The bill aims to limit abusive medical debt collection practices, protect patients from being denied medically necessary care because of unpaid medical bills, increase transparency of medical-debt policies, and provide fee-shifting protections to consumers who successfully defend collection lawsuits.

Key provisions

  • Attorney fees for successful defendants (new G.L. c.93, §24L)

    • A consumer who successfully defends against a civil action to collect an alleged debt brought by a creditor, debt collector, or third-party loan servicer is entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

  • Protections regarding medical-debt communications (amendment to G.L. c.93, §49)

    • Adds a paragraph addressing medical debt that makes it an unlawful practice for a creditor to, among other things:
    • Use automatic calls/robocalls to collect medical debt;
    • Communicate or imply that medical care will be withheld until a medical debt is paid;
    • Fail to advise the alleged debtor of the option to contact an attorney or the Attorney General;
    • Violate any other provision of that section related to debt collection practices.

  • Addition to subsection of G.L. c.93, §52

    • Adds a clause listing “Debt resulting directly from medical treatment.” (The bill inserts this phrase into subsection (a) of §52; consult the statute for the precise legal context and effect within §52’s existing framework.)

  • Prohibition on denial of care and transparency — hospitals and facilities (new G.L. c.111, §2K)

    • Hospitals, acute care hospitals, clinics, and licensed health care facilities cannot deny medically necessary health care solely because of unpaid medical debt.
    • Such facilities must publish their medical debt collection policies on their websites.

  • Prohibition on denial of care and disclosure — licensed providers (new G.L. c.112, §1C)

    • Individual health care providers licensed/registered under c.112 cannot deny medically necessary care solely for unpaid medical debt.
    • Providers must make their medical debt collection policy available to patients.

Who is affected

  • Consumers/patients with medical debt (expanded protections and right to recover fees if they prevail in court)
  • Creditors, debt collectors, and third‑party loan servicers (new limits and potential fee exposure)
  • Hospitals, clinics, licensed health care facilities, and individual licensed providers (prohibition on denying care and requirements to publish/make available debt policies)
  • Attorneys and the Attorney General (notification and enforcement touchpoints)

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Bill filed/House docketed Jan 16, 2025 (House No. 4073 / HD 2432 replacement)
  • Introduced and adopted in the House: 02/25/2025
  • Referred to Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure: 05/05/2025
  • Senate concurred: 05/08/2025
  • Hearing scheduled: 09/08/2025, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, Room A-2

If you want, I can produce a short plain-language explainer for patients, providers, or for a policy briefing that highlights likely legal or operational impacts.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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