Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency; prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including on a consumer report a record of a medical debt. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 16; Title 18; Title 20; Title 21; Title 27; Title 28; Title 29; Title 45; Title 47; Title 63 and Title 68.

HB 539 prohibits healthcare providers from reporting patients' medical debt to credit bureaus and bars credit bureaus from including medical debt in consumer credit reports, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects patients whose medical debt would otherwise appear on credit reports, as well as healthcare providers and credit reporting agencies. The bill allows healthcare providers to still work with debt collection agencies but makes violations subject to Tennessee's Consumer Protection Act, including fines and legal remedies. This policy change aims to prevent medical debt from negatively impacting credit scores without altering how providers handle debt collection.