Effective July 28, debt collectors licensed in Washington will be subject to new requirements when collecting medical debt.
Substitute House Bill 1531, signed into law by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on April 30, amended the state’s debt collection law that requires debt collectors to be licensed by adding certain substantive requirements along with a definition of “medical debt.” The amendments define “medical debt” as “any obligation for the payment of money arising out of any agreement or contract, express or implied, for the provision of health care services as defined in RCW 48.44.010.” Pursuant to RCW 48.44.010(10), “health care services means and includes medical, surgical, dental, chiropractic, hospital, optometric, podiatric, pharmaceutical, ambulance, custodial, mental health, and other therapeutic services.”