An Act alleviating the burden of medical debt for patients and families

This bill creates a new Medical Debt Protection Act in Massachusetts to shield patients and families from aggressive collection tactics. It defines specific actions, such as selling debts, reporting negative information to credit agencies, or seizing wages and bank accounts, as "extraordinary collection actions" that are prohibited. The law also restricts medical debt buyers from charging interest and requires them to honor agreements that prevent double billing if a patient qualifies for financial assistance. By amending state statutes, the legislation directly limits how healthcare providers and debt collectors can pursue unpaid medical bills.