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Government Actions
AG Ferguson: Providence debt collector Harris & Harris to pay $1 million for failing to inform patients of their medical debt collection rights
On Feb 21 2024, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that debt collection agency Harris & Harris will pay his office $1 million to resolve a lawsuit, which asserted the company unlawfully collected medical payments from more than 160,000 Washington patients without providing them with disclosures about their rights when faced with medical debt. By excluding those disclosures, Harris & Harris created barriers that kept patients from learning about and accessing financial assistance on their hospital bills.
Today’s resolution requires Harris & Harris to reform its practice to include legally required disclosures in first written collection notices in the future. Harris & Harris will pay for consumer education to approximately 166,000 Washingtonians who received the debt collection letters that lacked the disclosures. These individuals will receive a letter explaining their medical debt collection rights, including their right to apply for financial assistance on hospital bills. The $1 million will fund future consumer protection enforcement work. For more details, please click here.
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