One of the new consumer protection laws passed by the 2024 MN Legislature, is a prohibition of reporting medical debt. This takes effect October 1. Since the law appears to be targeted toward credit reporting agencies and debt collectors, I presume that this is...
When Legal Matters Become Personal
medical bills
Spousal liability for medical bills likely to be repealed
In Minnesota, a spouse is liable for the medical and other necessary debts of their spouse, as long as they are living together at the time the debt is incurred, pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 519.05. This is regardless of whose name it is in. While hospitals will sometimes...
New state law bars hospitals from collecting on debts until they first try charity care
A law that went into effect November 1st, requires hospitals to apply discounts, and inform patients of charity care, before sending unpaid bills off for collections. It seems intuitive that hospitals would be motivated to do this, if there is an easy way for them to...
Smaller medical bills are more likely to be sued out than large ones
A recent study commissioned by the State Bar association showed that smaller medical debts are more likely to be pursued than larger debts. The article goes on to surmise that because they are so small, people don't fight them, and that there is a disproportionate...
Allina reverses policy denying medical care to patients with outstanding debt
A recent post explained the public outcry as it was learned that a big medical operation in the Twin Cities was denying care to people, even kids, who had unpaid medical debt. The Attorney General got involved to investigate whether this violated certain agreements...
Can I be denied medical care for filing bankruptcy on medical bills?
Most large health institutions simply take it on the chin when you don't pay. They realize that if they stopped seeing their patients, then their patients will simply go to their competitors. While there is neither a law, nor an ethical rule, requiring that they...