SB 626: 'Georgia Medical Debt Fairness Act'; enact

Right now, Georgia law does not require hospitals to screen patients for financial assistance before sending a bill, and there is no statewide cap on interest charged for hospital payment plans or financing products tied to medical debt. This bill would add a new article to Georgia's hospital regulation law (O.C.G.A. Title 31, Chapter 7) addressing these gaps. Hospitals would have to use a standard state-issued financial assistance screening tool and application, offered by the Department of Community Health, and screen patients before billing them, unless the patient declines. Bills would have to include information on how to apply for financial assistance. Hospitals could not offer financing products or payment plans with more than 1 percent interest on medical debt, and could not send debt to collections while a patient is appealing coverage, applying for assistance, or on a payment plan. The Department of Community Health must publish the sample forms by January 1, 2027, and would enforce the new rules.

• Requires the Department of Community Health to publish a uniform financial assistance policy, screening tool, and application form by January 1, 2027.
• Requires hospitals to screen every patient for financial assistance eligibility and offer help completing the application before sending any bill, unless the patient declines.
• Bars hospitals from offering financing products or payment plans for medical debt with interest rates above 1 percent.
• Prohibits hospitals from pursuing debt collection while a patient is appealing insurance, applying for assistance, negotiating a bill, or on a payment plan.
• Requires hospitals to credit a patient's account and reimburse related costs if the hospital wrongly denied financial assistance eligibility, and to notify any debt collector that the debt is invalid.
• Requires every hospital bill to include contact information for financial assistance and a link to the hospital's financial assistance policy.

Georgia hospitals, both public and private, and their billing offices; patients receiving emergency or nonemergency healthcare services who may qualify for financial assistance or charity care; debt collectors working on hospitals' behalf; and the Department of Community Health, which must create the forms and enforce the law.

Patients facing hospital bills would get a guaranteed screening for financial help before being billed, protection from high-interest financing for medical debt, and a pause on collections while disputes or payment plans are pending, changing how hospitals handle unpaid medical bills across Georgia.

• Section 31-7-451 defines key terms including 'medical debt,' 'hospital,' 'debt collector,' and 'healthcare services,' covering both emergency and nonemergency care.
• Section 31-7-452 requires the Department of Community Health to post a sample financial assistance policy, screening tool, and application by January 1, 2027, and requires hospitals to adopt compliant policies.
• Section 31-7-453 requires hospitals to screen patients and offer application assistance before billing, and requires bills to disclose financial assistance information; also covers appeals and remedies for incorrect eligibility determinations.
• Section 31-7-454 bans financing products or payment plans for medical debt with interest rates above 1 percent, and requires hospitals to exhaust other coverage options before offering a payment plan.
• Section 31-7-455 bars hospitals from pursuing debt collection unless screening requirements are met and other coverage options are exhausted, and pauses collections during appeals, applications, or payment plans.
• Section 31-7-456 directs the Department of Community Health to enforce the article and issue implementing rules and regulations.

1. 2026-03-19Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
2. 2026-03-18Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)Patrocinador principal

• medical debt
• hospital billing
• charity care
• financial assistance
• debt collection