CFPB Backs Connecticut and California Bills to Prohibit Medical Debt Reporting

Recently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) submitted letters to senators in Connecticut and California supporting their proposals to prohibit medical debt reporting.

In Connecticut, Senate Bill 395 aims to prohibit state health care providers from reporting medical debt to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) for use in a consumer report.

In its letter of support to Connecticut Senator Matt Lesser, the CFPB commends Connecticut’s proactive approach to protect consumers from the harms of medical debt reporting. The CFPB also refers to its 2022 interpretive rule, which explains that states are generally permitted to enact laws that provide consumer protections involving consumer reporting, including the content of information contained in consumer reports or furnished to CRAs.