OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill aimed at easing the burden of medical debt for Oklahoma families has cleared a major legislative hurdle, passing off the House floor unanimously. House Bill 4148, authored by Representatives Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, and Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, now moves to the Senate for consideration.
“Nearly one in four Oklahomans have medical debt and too many Oklahoma families are just one illness away from losing everything to bankruptcy or too afraid of unknown costs to seek care. That’s just not right,” Schreiber said. “We’re working to solve real problems with this bill by ensuring families won’t be saddled with debt they couldn't have possibly planned for prior to even making the decision to undergo a basic medical procedure.”
Schreiber said the bill requires compliance with the Oklahoma’s Transparency in Healthcare Prices Act before a medical debt judgment can be obtained. Passed originally in 2021, the Act requires health care providers to publicize 20 of their most common health care services electronically or via their website.
"What's driving the debt in our healthcare system is complex and ensuring transparency in pricing is one way in which we can tackle the issue and take care of Oklahomans,” Schreiber concluded. “This bill is a commonsense solution that has bi-partisan support in both chambers, and I’m honored to have worked with Representative Lepak to deliver a solution to a problem that affects many Oklahomans.”
The measure will head to the Senate for consideration and is authored by Senator Julie Daniels.