Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna reveal bill to 'cancel all medical debt'

[Uncle Joe]

Exclusive: legislation creates a program to cancel all existing patient debt and block creditors from collecting past medical bills

(snip)

The bill, introduced with Oregon senator Jeff Merkley and Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, would create a federal grant program to cancel all existing patient debt and amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to block creditors from collecting past medical bills. The legislation would also update billing requirements for medical providers and alter the Consumer Credit Reporting Act to prevent credit agencies from reporting information related to unpaid medical bills, alleviating the risk of such debt damaging patients’ credit histories.

(snip)

In an interview with the Guardian, Khanna said he had spoken to many Americans bearing the financial brunt of this problem. One woman who met with Khanna showed him several hundred pages of medical bills that she received, while another person shared a story about their mother incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt after suffering a stroke.

(snip)

Sanders and Khanna’s bill may face a difficult journey to passage in the Republican-controlled House, but polls suggest that cancelation of medical debt attracts widespread support from members of both parties. According to a YouGov survey conducted in 2022, 66% of Americans – including 56% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats – support some relief to those with medical debt.

“People in America don’t think you should go into debt because you go to see a doctor or go to the emergency room,” Khanna said. “It’s kind of human decency.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/08/bernie-sanders-ro-khanna-medical-debt-bill

[anciano]

1. Healthcare is a basic human right

and should have the same availability to all as does police protection, fire department support, public schools and libraries.

[Bayard]

2. Its a wonderful idea

But I don't see it going anywhere, at least in this century.

[Uncle Joe]

3. I hear you Bayard

However the century is still relatively young and I'm not that pessimistic.

I believe our nation has come to a crossroad, like the one the movie "Crossroads" it's a twist on "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," it has a lot of cussing in, but the ending and music are good.

[Skittles]

4. more performance

they'd be better off addressing while legalized grifting is routinely allowed in the medical field

[IronLionZion]

5. We need this. DUers can also donate to medical debt relief here:

https://unduemedicaldebt.org/our-solutions/
https://unduemedicaldebt.org/our-outcomes/

This group buys up medical debt and forgives it. Each dollar donated erases at least $100 of medical debt, sometimes more.