(a) Prior to commencing collection activities against a patient, the hospital, any assignee of the hospital, or other owner of the patient debt, including a collection agency, shall provide the patient with a clear and conspicuous written notice containing both of the following:

(1) A plain language summary of the patient’s rights pursuant to this article, the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Title 1.6C (commencing with Section 1788) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), and the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Subchapter V (commencing with Section 1692) of Chapter 41 of Title 15 of the United States Code). The summary shall include a statement that the Federal Trade Commission enforces the federal act.

Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 127430

  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a set of United States statutes added as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purpose is to ensure ethical practices in the collection of consumer debts and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. It is often used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Source: OCC
  • Hospital: means a facility that is required to be licensed under subdivision (a), (b), or (f) of Section 1250, except a facility operated by the State Department of State Hospitals or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. See California Health and Safety Code 127400
  • Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
  • Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Health and Safety Code 12.2

The summary shall be sufficient if it appears in substantially the following form: “State and federal law require debt collectors to treat you fairly and prohibit debt collectors from making false statements or threats of violence, using obscene or profane language, and making improper communications with third parties, including your employer. Except under unusual circumstances, debt collectors may not contact you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. In general, a debt collector may not give information about your debt to another person, other than your attorney or spouse. A debt collector may contact another person to confirm your location or to enforce a judgment. For more information about debt collection activities, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov.”

(2) A statement that nonprofit credit counseling services may be available in the area.

(b) The notice required by subdivision (a) shall also accompany any document indicating that the commencement of collection activities may occur.

(c) The requirements of this section shall apply to the entity engaged in the collection activities. If a hospital assigns or sells the debt to another entity, the obligations shall apply to the entity, including a collection agency, engaged in the debt collection activity.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 347, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2008.)

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