Idaho Court Upholds Law Preventing Surprise Medical Collections

An Idaho law requiring medical providers to give patients adequate notice of medical bills before turning them over to a collections agency is constitutional, the state’s top court said.

The Idaho Patient Act passes constitutional muster because it regulates commercial speech and substantially advances the state’s interests in protecting its citizens from abusive debt collecting practices involving medical bills of which they are unaware, Justice Colleen D. Zahn said for the unanimous court.

Several states have taken action in the past few years to protect citizens from unfair debt collection practices associated with medical costs that providers didn’t adequately disclose ...