HB 565

Health Facilities - Hospitals - Medical Debt Protection

Sponsor: Lorig Charkoudian (District 20)Committee: Health and Government OperationsSubject: Health Care Facilities and RegulationStatus: Enacted under Article II, Section 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution - Chapter 770 (as of Dec 1, 2021)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Specifying the method for calculating family income to be used to consider free or reduced-cost medical care under a certain hospital financial assistance policy; requiring that the description of a hospital's financial assistance policy include a section that allows a patient to indicate the patient is aware of the policy; prohibiting a hospital from charging interest or fees on certain debts incurred by patients; requiring the Health Services Cost Review Commission to develop guidelines for an income-based payment plan; etc.

AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.

Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (79)

MGA witness list

FAV 73FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 1UnfavorableINFO 4Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Stevenson, Christopher	1199SEIU	Written (PDF)
FAV	DUMAIS, BRIG	1199SEIU UHE	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kilpatrick, Lancelobbyist	AFSCME Council 3	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wivell, Brianlobbyist	Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 689	Written (PDF)
FAV	Patoka, Izzy	Baltimore County Council District 2	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muller, Franca	Baltimore Teachers Union	Written (PDF)
FAV	MacMillan, Jackie	Bus Workgroup 14	Written (PDF)
FAV	Moore, Tonaeyalobbyist	CASH CAMPAIGN OF MARYLAND	Written (PDF)
FAV	Doogan, Suzanne	Coalition Against Policing By Hopkins	Written (PDF)
FAV	Burdett, Jake	Columbia Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schneiderman, Franzlobbyist	Consumer Auto	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartlett, Olivia	DoTheMostGood	Written (PDF)
FAV	Clark, Tom	IBEW 26	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bullis, Michaellobbyist	IMAGE center of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Carney, Maedi Tanham	Integrated Living Opportunities	Written (PDF)
FAV	Demchuk, Pete	International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #24	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schablein, Jared	Lower Shore Progressive Caucus	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	O'Connor, Patricia	Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Health Education and Advocacy Unit (HEAU)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Edwards, Donna	Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jefferson , Staceylobbyist	Marylanders Against Poverty	Written (PDF)
FAV	Palmisano, Anna	Marylanders for Patient Rights	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alexander, Richard	Medstar Washington Hospital Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stephen, David	Metropolitan Washington Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Koravos, JoAnne	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Little, Rev. Kobi	NAACP Maryland	Oral
FAV	Bosco, Jenifer	National Consumer Law Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hartwich, Korey	National Nurses United	Written (PDF)
FAV	Holt, Chrissy	Our Revolution Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Elliott, Richard DeShay	Prince George's County Young Democrats	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dwyer, Jennifer	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Black, Ashley	Public Justice Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Crawford, Charlie	Sunrise Movement Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson, Anne	Sunrise Movement Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Millar, Amy	UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson, Michaellobbyist	UFCW Local 400	Written (PDF)
FAV	Egan, Ashleylobbyist	UULM-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Auger, Deborah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Barber, John	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bell, Pamela	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Camlin, April	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cantori, Renee	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Charkoudian, Lorig	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Council, Mark	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dalto, Michael	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Charkoudian, Delegate Charkoudianlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Ehrhardt, Carl	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Esposito, Ashley	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fisher, Max	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gaber, Corey	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gregory, Michele	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Grosman, Katharina	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hennen, Amy	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hsu, Valerie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jones, Councilman Julian	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaey, Martin	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Klaitman, Jessica	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lipscomb, Melinda	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mackey, Tiffany	Individual	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 79

Organizations on record

1199SEIUFAV 1

1199SEIU UHEFAV 1

AFSCME Council 3FAV 1

Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 689FAV 1

Baltimore County Council District 2FAV 1

Baltimore Teachers UnionFAV 1

Bus Workgroup 14FAV 1

CASH CAMPAIGN OF MARYLANDFAV 1

Coalition Against Policing By HopkinsFAV 1

Columbia Democratic ClubFAV 1

Consumer AutoFAV 1

DoTheMostGoodFAV 1

IBEW 26FAV 1

IMAGE center of MarylandFAV 1

Integrated Living OpportunitiesFAV 1

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #24FAV 1

Lower Shore Progressive CaucusFAV 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland Dept. of HealthFWA 1INFO 1

Maryland Hospital AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Insurance AdministrationINFO 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Health Education and Advocacy Unit (HEAU)FAV 1

Maryland State and DC AFL-CIOFAV 1

Marylanders Against PovertyFAV 1

Marylanders for Patient RightsFAV 1

Medstar Washington Hospital CenterFAV 1

Metropolitan Washington CouncilFAV 1

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

NAACP MarylandFAV 1

National Consumer Law CenterFAV 1

National Nurses UnitedFAV 1

Our Revolution MarylandFAV 1

Prince George's County Young DemocratsFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Public Justice CenterFAV 1

Sunrise Movement BaltimoreFAV 2

UFCW Local 1994 MCGEOFAV 1

UFCW Local 400FAV 1

UULM-MDFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVKilpatrick, LanceAFSCME Council 3Registered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

FAVWivell, BrianAmalgamated Transit Union, Local 689Registered for: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300

FAVMoore, TonaeyaCASH CAMPAIGN OF MARYLANDRegistered for: CASH Campaign of Maryland

FAVSchneiderman, FranzConsumer AutoRegistered for: Auto Consumer Alliance; Consumer Auto

FAVBullis, MichaelIMAGE center of MarylandRegistered for: Independent Marylanders Achieving Growth Through Empowerment

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

FAVJefferson , StaceyMarylanders Against PovertyRegistered for: Behavioral Health System Baltimore

FAVWilson, MichaelUFCW Local 400Registered for: Food Research and Action Center dba Maryland Hunger Solutions

FAVEgan, AshleyUULM-MDRegistered for: UULM-MD

FAVWalsh, MichaelRegistered for: Ameresco; Allegis, Redwood, Maxim Public Affairs, LLC; AthLife Foundation, The; Backpack; Capitol Strategies LLC; Children's Guild, The…

FAVWhite, MarcelineRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition

UNFWitten, JenniferMaryland Hospital AssociationRegistered for: Lifebridge Health, Inc.

INFOPaddy, MichaelMaryland Insurance AdministrationRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Campaign to Protect Patient Health d/b/a Value of Care Coalition; Chase Brexton Health System; Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition; Gaudenzia, Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.…