Notice to patient of debt

(1) (a) When a person has health benefit coverage to provide payment for care or treatment rendered by a health-care provider and the person has notified the health-care provider of coverage within thirty days after the date the care or treatment was rendered, and if the health coverage plan, as defined in section 10-16-102 (34), C.R.S., pays only a portion of the debt, prior to the assignment of the debt to a licensed collection agency, the health-care provider shall mail written notice to the last-known address of the person responsible for payment of the debt at least thirty days before any collection activity on any amount due and owing the health-care provider. (b) The notice required of health-care providers by paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall include the amount due and owing; the name, address, and telephone number of the health-care provider; where payment may be made; the date of service; and the last date or number of days after the date of the notice the health-care provider will accept payment prior to the debt being submitted to a collection agency or reporting adverse information to a consumer reporting agency for the debt for which notice was provided. (2) (a) If the health-care provider fails to provide the person with notice of such debt and all other information required by subsection (1) of this section, the health-care provider shall not pursue any rights to collect such outstanding amount either through a collection agency or by any further efforts of the health-care provider to collect the debt. In addition, the health-care provider may not report adverse information to a consumer reporting agency for the debt for which notice was provided without providing notice to the person pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. The health-care provider shall assist the person in correcting any adverse credit information because of the health-care provider's failure to provide notice pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. (b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a health-care provider may remedy a failure to give notice by providing a written report to the collection agency to withhold any collection activity and withholding any of the health-care provider's own collection efforts until the provider complies with the notice and time requirements pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. (c) Nothing in this subsection (2) shall be construed to require a health-care provider to perform additional attempts to notify a person of the person's portion of the debt other than mailing the notice required pursuant to subsection (1) of this section to the person's last-known address and maintaining a record of such mailing. (d) The failure of a health-care provider or its agent to provide the notice required by subsection (1) of this section shall not create a cause of action or remedy against a collection agency under the "Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act", article 16 of title 5.