Oregon committee hears testimony on bill to bar medical debt from credit reports

The Oregon House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a public hearing May 15 on Senate Bill 605A, a measure that would prohibit reporting medical debt to consumer reporting agencies and define certain medical credit–card obligations as medical debt.

Senator Winsve Campos, who represents Senate District 18, urged the committee to back the bill and the A‑9 amendment, saying medical debt “often stems from events completely outside a person's control” and can follow people for years even when it is “valid, disputed, or already paid.”

The bill would bar health care providers and debt collectors from reporting the amount or existence of medical debt and would prohibit consumer reporting agencies from reporting items they know or reasonably should know are medical debt. The A‑9 amendment narrows the definition by specifying that a medical debt may include a monetary obligation on a credit card issued specifically for payment of medical services, products, or devices.

Why it matters: Supporters said removing medical debt from credit reports prevents an illness, injury or insurance error from becoming a long-term financial barrier to housing, employment and credit. Representative Nathan Sosa said adoption would put Oregon in…