Medical plan cards are seen on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Portland, Ore. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Tuesday, June 11, 2024, it is planning a rule that would remove medical bills from credit reports and prevent lenders from making decisions based on medical information. The Biden administration is pushing to preventfrom being considered in most decisions made over whether someone qualifies to rent an apartment, buy a car or take on a mortgage.
“No one should be denied access to economic opportunity simply because they experienced a medical emergency,” Vice President Kamala Harris said during a conference call laying out the planned rule.for the rule in September, and a senior administration official said they expect to finalize it early next year.
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra also noted Tuesday that research shows billing errors frequently appear on credit reports. He said the rule would prevent debt collectors “from using the credit report as a cudgel” to force people to pay bills they may not owe.