About 100 million Americans deal with medical debt, late notices, threatening voicemails and credit score declines.
“There’s a lot happening in states and it’s been slowly building,” said Eva Marie Stahl, vice president of public policy at RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit that purchases people’s medical debt so they don’t have to pay it. “It’s relatable. It’s something everyone has experienced or has a loved one who has experienced it.”
Even as the uninsured rate has declined to historic lows, medical debt has become more ubiquitous. It’s a consequence of rising out-of-pocket costs — the average family deductible is now almost $4,000,, up from $2,500 a decade ago — and the ballooning costs of health care. Medical debt can pile up because of a dental emergency or certain fertility treatments, which often aren’t covered by insurance.
“While every hospital has a financial assistance policy to help those most in need, they can only help so much and so many,” the trade group said recently. “No matter how generous, hospital financial assistance will never be a substitute for a health insurance plan that covers preventive and necessary care at an affordable price on the front and back end of coverage.”
Pennsylvania State Rep. Arvind Venkat, a Democrat and emergency physician, sponsored legislation that would authorize state funds to be used to purchase and forgive medical debt. Pennsylvanians would be eligible if their household income is less than four times the poverty level or if their medical debt equals more than 5 percent of their income.
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