Doctors warn Congress they must address medical debt crisis

WASHINGTON — If you’re struggling to pay back medical debt, you’re not alone. Many Americans owe more than $10,000 because of past health issues, even if they have insurance.

Today, doctors are warning Congress: Lawmakers need to address this growing crisis.

Most Americans have some form of health insurance coverage. But roughly 20 million still have medical debt, totaling more than $220 billion dollars, according to KFF Health News.

Research shows cancer patients, people with lower incomes and those without insurance are more likely to face this financial burden.

“While we work to save patients, medical bills and medical debt are killing them,” said Dr. Luke Messac with Harvard Medical School.

On Capitol Hill, healthcare providers are urging Congress to take action while sharing what has worked in their own communities to give patients relief. This includes partnerships with Undue Medical Debt, a charitable organization that helps pay medical bills.

“The real value of medical debt actually falls with time after nonpayment,” said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed with the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services in Michigan, adding, “That allows them to buy medical debt for pennies on the dollar, and that is allowing Wayne County to pay off upwards of $700 million in debt for just 7 million.”

Several doctors are also calling for universal healthcare and nationwide debt cancellation.

“Providers are concerned about securing payments from patients,” said Benedic Ippolito with the American Enterprise Institute.

Ippolito argues those policies may lead to unintended outcomes, like charging patients more upfront for treatment.

“If you’re someone who cannot otherwise pay a bill, suddenly, that presents a barrier to getting care in the first place relative to a world where you pay the bill afterward,” he said.

Some federal agencies are also trying to address medical debt. Last month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule that would remove medical bills from most credit reports, which could help increase people’s credit scores.

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