57-32-4: Indigent patients; patients' debt collection protections.

A. For patients who are determined to be indigent patients, charges for health care services and medical debt shall not be pursued through collection actions. All collection actions through which charges for health care services and medical debt are pursued shall be terminated upon the determination that a patient is an indigent patient. Health care facilities, third-party health care providers and medical creditors shall not hire or otherwise engage third parties to perform collection actions against or otherwise recover debts from indigent patients.

B. The superintendent shall promulgate rules to establish the process by which a patient is determined to be an indigent patient for purposes of this section. The rules shall take into account both permanent and temporary sources of income.