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Brent Hoard

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Clients rely on Brent’s unique legal and consulting experience to find practical solutions to today’s complex and evolving privacy and data protection issues.

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In this episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis is joined by Troutman Pepper Locke Partners Stefanie Jackman and Brent Hoard to take a close look at the world of medical debt collection. The discussion covers how HIPAA applies to medical debt, what it really means to be a “business associate,” and common privacy challenges that can turn routine collection efforts into regulatory headaches. They also focus on key federal and state debt collection regimes, including the FDCPA, the No Surprises Act, and increasingly complex credit reporting requirements. The group provides insight on collection strategies for health care providers and third-party collectors that are both compliant and workable in practice. For anyone handling medical-related receivables, this episode serves as a practical guide to safeguarding patient information, maintaining tax-exempt status, and enhancing collections while staying within regulatory boundaries.

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Key point: Tennessee’s new law prohibits parties that develop or deploy AI systems from advertising or representing to the public that the AI systems can act as a qualified mental health professional. 

On April 1, 2026, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB 1580 into law, and it will go into effect on July 1, 2026. The new law is short — less than one page — but has potentially significant consequences given that it includes a private right of action.

In the following post, we provide an overview of the new law.

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In Part One of this FAQ series, we break down Virginia’s Senate Bill 754, Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, etc., reproductive or sexual health information (Act), which amends the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA). The law goes into effect on July 1. Overall, given the broad definitions used in the Act, the law likely regulates organizations that are not traditional health care companies, and goes beyond traditional health information.