Bill: Hospitals can't use patient's medical debt to decide care

Last update: May 3, 2008 - 1:23 PM

The Legislature has approved a bill aimed at prohibiting a hospital from using information about a patient's medical debt to decide whether to treat the patient. The governor is expected to sign it.

"It hasn't been a problem here yet, but we do know that some companies were working on gathering that information to sell to health care providers," said Sen. Linda Scheid, DFL-Brooklyn Center, chief Senate sponsor.

Under the bill, a health care provider can't share or obtain medical debt information about a patient seeking care until after the care is delivered. Impetus for the bill came from Attorney General Lori Swanson, who sought to ensure health care decisions are not based on a patient's medical debt.

WARREN WOLFE

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