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OAG and DC Health back protections but urge clearer reporting and enforceability
Summary
Office of the Attorney General and DC Health testified in support of the Medical Debt Mitigation Act but urged stronger reporting requirements, clearer enforcement language and careful definition of facilities covered so agencies can monitor compliance and act on violations.
Wendy Weinberg, Senior Assistant Attorney General in OAG's Office of Consumer Protection, told the committee OAG supports the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act and recommended augmenting the bill with enhanced reporting requirements so DC Health can share facility reports, debt-collection contracts and credit-reporting activity with OAG. Weinberg suggested making violations of limits on promotion or use of medical lending products a per se violation of the District's debt collection statute to bolster enforcement.
Sam Hurley, senior deputy director at DC Health, said the agency supports the bill's goals but warned that some categories of outpatient clinics and urgent-care centers may not be fully within DC Health's current licensing authority; he urged the committee to clarify the "large healthcare facility" definition to avoid implementation gaps. Both agencies said they are willing to work with committee counsel to craft enforceable language and to address privacy and data-sharing protections for complaint investigations.
OAG and DC Health noted that DC Health receives relatively few formal complaints about billing despite the high number of residents with medical debt, which suggests underreporting; both agencies recommended clearer reporting so regulators can detect systemic problems and target enforcement.
