H 7171Rights & Warranties

Businesses and Professions - Patient Payment Information

Healthcare providers cannot force patients to keep a credit card or bank account on file to receive treatment.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This legislation prohibits healthcare providers, such as doctors and medical offices, from requiring patients to provide credit card, debit card, or bank account information to be kept on file as a condition for receiving treatment. If a provider demands this information before seeing a patient, it is considered a deceptive trade practice under Rhode Island law. However, patients may still voluntarily provide this payment information if they choose to do so, and they remain responsible for paying for any healthcare services they receive.

For younger readers

Sometimes when you go to the doctor, the office might ask your parents to give them a credit card number to save in their computer before the doctor will see you. This bill says that doctors are not allowed to force your parents to do that anymore. Your parents can still choose to leave their card number if they want to, but the doctor cannot say "no" to helping you just because your parents didn't leave a card on file. Your parents still have to pay for the visit, though.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

PatientsHealthcare ProvidersDoctorsDentistsMedical Office Administrators

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Protects low-income individuals who may be unbanked or lack credit cards from being denied essential medical care due to administrative financial barriers.
Prevents healthcare providers from automatically charging patients for unexpected costs without specific approval, shielding families from sudden financial instability.
Reduces the power imbalance between patients and medical institutions by ensuring that access to health services is not contingent on surrendering sensitive financial data.
Does not address the underlying issue of high healthcare costs or deductibles, meaning patients still face significant financial burdens even without cards on file.
Could lead some providers to require full payment upfront in cash or check, which might still create barriers to access for those with limited immediate funds.
Relies on the deceptive trade practices statute for enforcement, which may require legal resources or knowledge that disadvantaged populations may not possess to utilize effectively.

For Conservatives

Protects consumer privacy and data security by ensuring individuals are not forced to store sensitive banking information with third-party providers against their will.
Empowers the consumer to maintain control over their own finances and payment timing rather than submitting to provider mandates.
Explicitly maintains the patient's obligation to pay for services, upholding the principle of personal responsibility for financial debts.
Interferes with the free market by dictating the specific business terms and administrative policies that private medical practices are allowed to set.
Increases the risk of bad debt and administrative overhead for small business owners and medical practices who rely on cards on file to ensure payment for services rendered.
Expands the scope of "unfair trade practices" laws, potentially exposing small businesses to government fines and litigation for standard billing procedures.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 12 additions

SECTION 1. Title 5 of the General Laws entitled "BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 5-37.9-1. Patient payment information -- Requiring electronic payment information prohibited.

(a) No healthcare provider, as defined in § 5-37.3-12, shall require a patient to provide bank account information, a credit card number, a debit card number or any other form of electronic payment to be kept on file with the healthcare provider as a prerequisite to seeing the patient for an office visit or providing any healthcare service to the patient.

(b) A violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be considered an unfair trade practice pursuant to chapter 13.1 of title 6 ("deceptive trade practices").

(1) Affect a patient's obligation to pay for healthcare services; or

(2) Prohibit a healthcare provider from requesting, collecting or storing bank, credit or debit card or other payment-related information if the patient agrees to provide such information.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.