By Doug Aldeen on Linkedin
In Alec Baldwin’s iconic role in the seminal 1992 movie, Glengarry Ross, he advised his underlings to “always be closing ” (“ABC”). In Colorado, for hospitals under HB 1285, “ABC” =always be compliant… .
“…Under federal law, hospitals are required to post prices online to allow patients to compare costs between hospitals. Now, a Colorado bill is seeking to ban hospitals from pursuing debt collections against patients if they’re not in compliance with the federal statute.
If enacted, House Bill 1285 would prohibit noncompliant hospitals from using debt collectors, filing negative credit reports against patients and obtaining state court judgements for outstanding debts. Noncompliant hospitals could still bill patients, but if they pursue collection actions, they must refund any debt paid by the patient, in addition to all legal fees.
“Hospitals must simply follow the federal law,” said bill sponsor Rep. Daneya Esgar, “and the bill provides patients with the power of the courts to enforce their rights when it comes to that law.”
Only 6% of Colorado hospitals are in full compliance with the federal price transparency law more than one year after it went into effect, according to a report by PatientRightsAdvocate.org. That is below the national average of 14.3% compliance.
The House Health and Insurance Committee unanimously advanced the bill Wednesday, sending it to the full House for consideration… .”
D. Doug Aldeen, Esq., Attorney At Law – www.dougaldeen.com
