Bill · S. 4622· Senate(119-S-4622)
PATCH Act
- Introduced
- 5/21/2026
- Last activity
- 5/21/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- John Kennedy
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Protecting Americans from Treatment-related Credit Harm Act" or the "PATCH Act," seeks to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The primary goal is to prohibit the inclusion of medical debt on a consumer report. It defines medical debt as any debt resulting from receiving medical services, products, or devices. Additionally, the bill directs the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to amend regulations. This change would prevent creditors from using medical debt information when deciding whether to extend credit to a consumer.
Yes· 3 of 6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+7
The bill prohibits medical debt from appearing on consumer reports and restricts creditors from using this information to deny credit.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+6
The bill protects low-income households from the negative credit consequences of unpaid medical bills.
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?+5
The bill protects people with disabilities who may face frequent medical expenses from having their credit harmed.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Prohibition of medical debt on consumer reports: This provision prevents adverse information related to medical debt, such as debts placed for collection or charged to profit or loss, from appearing on a consumer report (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Restrictions on creditor use of medical information: The bill requires the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to amend regulations so that creditors cannot obtain or use information regarding a consumer's medical debt to determine if they should be granted credit (Section 3(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Information collection remains permitted: While medical debt cannot be included in consumer reports, the bill specifies that nothing prevents a consumer reporting agency from collecting the information related to medical debt (Section 2(b)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+6Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Middle Class Households+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+7
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+3
- 5/21/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.