A BILL
To provide government relief of COVID-19-related medical debt.
Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress assembled
II. TITLE1. The title of this act shall be the Completely Obliterate Virus Insolvency and Debt, Ending Bad Times Act.
a. This legislation may also be cited as the "COVIDEBT Act."
I. PAYMENT FREEZE1. No healthcare provider or private debtholder may demand servicing of debts from uninsured patients for COVID-19 treatment until August 1st, 2021.
II. PAYING OFF DEBT1.
$12,000,000,000 shall be appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a "COVIDEBT Fund" from which payments to healthcare providers shall originate.
a. Healthcare providers may apply for payments by providing a comprehensive statement of invoices and billing statements related to undischarged debts from uninsured patients for COVID-19 treatment.
b. Healthcare providers must submit this statement by July 1st, 2021; to be eligible to receive funding.
c. The Department of Health and Human Services shall allocate funding to applicants equal to the gross amount of undischarged payment or debt stated therein.
d. All other holders of medical debt may apply for funding as well, subject to the same requirements.
i. In cases in which non-healthcare-provider debtholders have not been informed that payment is owed for COVID-19 treatments, the original healthcare provider shall inform the debtholder of this aspect of the nature of the debt by April 1st, 2021.
2. $15,000,000 shall be appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services for the implementation of this act.
III. ENACTMENT1. This legislation shall go into effect immediately upon the President's signature, except where otherwise specified herein.
