§ 56:11-61 — Medical creditor, debt collector, pending review, restrictions.

6. a. A medical creditor or medical debt collector that knows that an internal review, external review, or other appeal of a health insurance decision which provides the basis for a medical debt is pending shall not: (1) communicate with the patient regarding the unpaid charges for health care services for the purpose of seeking to collect the charges; or (2) initiate a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding against the patient relative to unpaid charges for health care services. b. If a medical debt has already been reported to a consumer reporting agency and the medical creditor or medical debt collector who reported the information learns of an internal review, external review, or other appeal of a health insurance decision which provides the basis for a medical debt is pending, or learns that the medical debt has been paid, the medical creditor or medical debt collector shall instruct the consumer reporting agency to delete the information about the debt. c. A medical creditor that knows about an internal review, external review, or other appeal of a health insurance decision that is pending shall not refer, place, or send the unpaid charges for health care services to a medical debt collector, including by selling the debt to a medical debt buyer. L.2024, c.48, s.6.