Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee hears bill to cap interest on medical debt at 1% for new debts
Summary
ESSB 5993 would cap prejudgment interest on unwritten medical debt accrued after Dec. 31, 2026, at 1% per year; sponsors say it protects patients and is a compromise, providers and collectors warn of unintended access and sustainability impacts.
On Feb. 18 the Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee heard testimony on ESSB 5993, which would limit prejudgment interest on medical debt without a written agreement to 1% per year for debts that accrue after Dec. 31, 2026.
Senator Emily Alvarado (34th), the bill—s sponsor, described the bill as a compromise: the initial draft banned interest entirely, but the current version sets a 1% limit to cover administrative costs and preserves the judgment timeline. "This is a compromise...we raised it to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
