Bill Would Prevent Drastic Measures to Recoup Medical Debt
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the COVID-19 Medical Debt Collection Relief Act, legislation to prevent health care providers from taking drastic steps to collect medical debts from patients – including seizing bank accounts and garnishing wages. Nearly one in four working-age American adults report having problems paying their medical bills. As our nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial and health consequences of medical debt are even more troubling. Reporting across the country has shown that some hospitals continue to seize bank accounts and garnish wages in order to collect medical debts, preventing Americans from using these funds to meet basic needs, like buying food or paying rent. The COVID-19 pandemic has also underscored longstanding racial inequities in our health care system. Data shows…