CT SB01203

Hospitals must provide financial assistance to patients enrolled in SNAP or WIC programs, or with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, regardless of immigration status, effective October 1, 2023

The Health Systems Planning Unit must develop a uniform financial assistance application by January 1, 2024, which hospitals must make available in admissions offices, emergency rooms, and billing offices, and include in all billing statements

Hospitals and collection agents are prohibited from charging interest on medical debt for patients eligible for financial assistance, and must offer payment plans capped at 2% of household income per year for those deemed ineligible

Hospitals cannot report patients to credit agencies for one year after first billing, cannot foreclose on primary residences for medical debt, and cannot garnish wages of patients eligible for financial assistance

340B covered entities cannot collect medical debt for prescription drugs obtained at discounted prices but charged to patients at higher prices, and hospitals violating federal price transparency rules cannot recover costs for undisclosed services