The bill establishes a new section, W.S. 40-12-115, which prohibits medical facilities and collection entities from reporting medical debt to credit reporting agencies starting July 1, 2025. It defines key terms related to medical debt, including "collection entity," "credit report," "credit reporting agency," "health care product," "health care services," and "medical facility." The bill specifies that medical debt does not include charges made to a credit card unless the card is specifically for health care-related expenses.

Additionally, the bill introduces a civil penalty for any medical facility or collection entity that violates this prohibition, allowing a court to impose a penalty equal to the amount of the medical debt reported. It also amends the definition section of the existing law to include this new provision and clarifies that existing contracts prior to the effective date will not be affected. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-12-102