Americans will no longer have to decide what’s more important: Their health or their credit score. Finalized on January 7, a new rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) prohibits cre

A new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule means consumers’ hospital and doctor bills can no longer weigh down their credit scores.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule that would remove medical bills from credit reports and prevent lenders from using medical information in lending decisions. The federal agency said the rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans.