End of Medical Debt Reporting in NY, Big Health Care Spending Bills in FL & More

NY Ends Reporting of Medical Debt

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a bill (SB 4907) prohibiting hospitals and health care providers from reporting medical debt to credit agencies, and barring credit agencies from collecting information about such debt. Colorado enacted a similar measure (HB 1126) in June, and legislation aimed at reducing the financial burden of medical debt has been introduced in at least a dozen states this year. (ASSOCIATED PRESS, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET)

FL Senate to Consider $874M in Health Care System ‘Enhancements’ Next Year

The Florida Senate’s Health Policy Committee voted unanimously last week to prefile a pair of bills (SB 7016 and SB 7018) for the 2024 Regular Session aimed at bolstering the state’s health care workforce, boosting the use of technology and reducing regulations. Together the measures would appropriate about $874 million for those efforts.

“This is my 22nd Session in the Florida Legislature and I have never seen a bill that has the dramatic changes and enhancements and the ability to really incentivize people to come to Florida,” said Sen. Gayle Harrell (R), chair of the Senate health care panel. (FLORIDA POLITICS)

VA to Target Mental Health Crisis

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said he wants to boost state funding for behavioral health programs by $500 million. He also said he’s asking state lawmakers to enact legislation ensuring that people experiencing a mental health crisis have access to family members. (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH)

NC Kids Shielded from Medicaid Unwinding

North Carolina has received federal approval to continue providing Medicaid coverage for children while it works on recertifying all enrollees in the program. The state is only the second, after Kentucky, to obtain such a waiver, since the federal policy barring states from kicking enrollees out of the program during the pandemic expired in April, ushering in the recertification process known as “unwinding.” (NC HEALTH NEWS)

—Compiled by SNCJ Managing Editor KOREY CLARK