Hospital Financial Assistance Act

Current understanding

HB6071 would enact a new Hospital Financial Assistance Act in Michigan, establishing a statutory framework governing financial assistance (charity care) provided by hospitals to patients. The bill has passed one chamber. Specific eligibility standards, hospital obligations, and enforcement mechanisms under the proposed act are to be detailed as the text is analyzed.

Evidence log

• 2026-03-11 — Health facilities: hospitals; certain hospital financial assistance policies; make subject to the hospital financial assistance act. Amends sec. 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0449’25: SB0450 (Senate companion to HB6072, tie-barred to SB0449) amends sec. 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167) to subject certain hospital financial assistance policies to the Hospital Financial Assistance Act; passed one chamber. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-11 — Health facilities: hospitals; hospital financial assistance act; enact. Creates new act.: SB0449 — a Senate companion measure that would enact the Hospital Financial Assistance Act with the same purpose as HB6071 — has passed one chamber, indicating the proposal is advancing on parallel tracks in both chambers. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-18 — Health facilities: hospitals; health care cost reduction fund; create. Creates new act. TIE BAR WITH: HB 6116’26, HB 6118’26: cross-connection with health-care-cost-reduction-fund: Both address downstream reduction of hospital-related costs — the fund as a financing mechanism, the financial assistance act as patient-facing charity care obligations. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-18 — Health facilities: hospitals; hospital cost review board act; establish. Creates new act. TIE BAR WITH: HB 6117’26, HB 6118’26: Related hospital-regulation package: HB6116 (tie-barred to HB6117 and HB6118) would create a separate Hospital Cost Review Board Act establishing state review of hospital costs, complementing charity-care obligations under the Hospital Financial Assistance Act. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-23 — Consumer credit: credit reports and reporting agencies; collection and reporting of medical debt information; regulate. Creates new act.: cross-connection with medical-debt-credit-reporting: Credit reporting restrictions on medical debt work in tandem with hospital charity care rules (HB6071) by reducing downstream consumer harm from unpaid hospital bills. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-23 — Health facilities: hospitals; certain hospital financial assistance policies; make subject to the hospital financial assistance act. Amends sec. 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167). TIE BAR WITH: HB 6071’26: HB6072 (tie-barred to HB6071) amends sec. 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167) to make certain hospital financial assistance policies subject to the Hospital Financial Assistance Act; passed one chamber. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Health facilities: hospitals; hospital financial assistance act; enact. Creates new act.: cross-connection with medical-debt-collection-protections: Hospital financial assistance standards (HB6071) operate upstream of medical debt collection limits (HB5254/HB5255) — one governs how hospital bills are reduced or waived, the other restricts remedies once debt exists. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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