CFPB and CMS address illegal billing of lowest-income Medicare recipients

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a joint statement concerning unlawful medical bills charged to people with Medicare living at or below the poverty line — about one in eight Medicare recipients nationwide. Federal law generally prohibits healthcare providers who accept Medicare from billing them for cost-sharing, such as co-pays or deductibles. The agencies say that the improper billing affects millions Americans. Details are here.