Briel Bill Protecting Patient Homes from Hospital Legal Action Passes House Chamber

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Working to protect homeowners from medical debt, state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, is advancing a bill ensuring patients’ primary residence and property cannot be used in legal action by hospitals seeking to recover unpaid medical debt.

“More likely than not, you either know someone in medical debt or you’ve experienced it yourself. It’s become an all too common burden for residents not only in rural communities like mine, but across the board, affecting families from suburban neighborhoods to urban areas,” said Briel. “This is only getting worse as big hospital networks swallow smaller providers, making even a yearly check-up burdensome for a lot of folks. A step like this is absolutely needed to ensure patients aren’t kicked out of their homes due to untenable healthcare costs.”

Medical debt remains one of the leading causes of bankruptcy nationwide, according to the National Library of Medicine, with nearly half of U.S. adults finding it difficult to afford healthcare. Briel’s House Bill 4461 takes an important step to protect patient homes and property by changing the law to disqualify any Illinois hospital from pursuing liens on a patient’s primary residence during legal action should the patient have accrued medical debt. 

The initiative is driven by local constituents affected by aggressive collection actions, including liens being placed on homes for medical debts as low as $2,000. 

“This bill comes at a consequential time where way too many families are struggling to afford basic essentials. Healthcare costs shouldn’t be the deciding factor between a roof over a family’s head or that week’s groceries,” said Briel.  

House Bill 4461 passed off the House floor and awaits Senate consideration.