2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 19a - Public Health and Well-Being
Chapter 368z - Health Systems Planning Unit
Section 19a-673d. - *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Cessation of collection efforts upon debtor's eligibility for bed funds or other services.
If, at any point in the debt collection process, whether before or after the entry of judgment, a hospital, a consumer collection agency acting on behalf of the hospital, an attorney representing the hospital or any employee or agent of the hospital becomes aware that a debtor from whom the hospital is seeking payment for services rendered receives information that the debtor is eligible for hospital bed funds, free or reduced price hospital services, or any other program which would result in the elimination of liability for the debt or reduction in the amount of such liability, the hospital, collection agency, attorney, employee or agent shall promptly discontinue collection efforts and refer the collection file to the hospital for determination of such eligibility. The collection effort shall not resume until such determination is made.
(P.A. 03-266, S. 6.)
*Note: On and after October 1, 2022, this section, as amended by section 3 of public act 21-129, is to read as follows:
“Sec. 19a-673d. Cessation of collection efforts upon debtor's eligibility for bed funds or other services. (a) As used in this section:
(1) “Affiliated with” means (A) employed by a hospital or health system, (B) under a professional services agreement with a hospital or health system that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such entity, or (C) a clinical faculty member of a medical school, as defined in section 33-182aa, who is affiliated with a hospital or health system in a manner that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such clinical faculty member.
(2) “Owned by” means owned by a hospital or health system when billed under the hospital's tax identification number.
(b) If, at any point in the debt collection process, whether before or after the entry of judgment, a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, or a collection agent, as defined in section 19a-509b, becomes aware that a debtor from whom the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital is seeking payment for health care rendered receives information that the debtor is eligible for hospital bed funds, free or reduced price hospital services or any other program which would result in the elimination of liability for the debt or reduction in the amount of such liability, such hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital or collection agent shall promptly discontinue all collection efforts against such debtor for such health care and refer the collection file for such health care to such hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital until such hospital or entity determines whether such debtor is eligible for such elimination or reduction. Such collection efforts shall not resume until such hospital or entity makes such determination.”
(P.A. 03-266, S. 6; P.A. 21-129, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 21-129 added new Subsec. (a) defining “affiliated with” and “owned by”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding references to entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital and to collection agent, deleting references to consumer collection agency, attorney representing hospital and employee or agent of hospital and making technical and conforming changes, effective October 1, 2022.
