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Trump signs executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, directing DOJ to enforce; Educators voice concern for PA immigrant student protections; WA rent stabilization bills have huge public support; ME benefits from $2.2 billion in federal clean energy investments.

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Nationwide protests erupt against federal policies, Indiana's EV infrastructure expansion stalls due to a funding freeze, and Washington state pushes for rent stabilization to combat rising housing costs.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Proposed rule would benefit Mainers struggling with medical debt

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Monday, July 29, 2024   

Maine households struggling to pay medical debt could benefit from a proposed federal rule to remove medical bills from credit reports.

The rule would prevent credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt details with lenders and prohibit lenders from making decisions based on medical information.

Kate Ende, policy director at Consumers for Affordable Health Care, said medical bills can be inaccurate and are not predictive of a person's ability to pay debt on time.

"It doesn't add value when trying to assess somebody's creditworthiness," Ende argued. "It can really hurt people, unfairly."

Ende pointed out medical debt can make it harder for people to get a loan or refinance and lead to higher interest rates. A recent survey revealed nearly half of Maine households carry medical debt, the majority of which stems from hospital bills.

Maine passed its own consumer protection legislation this year, prohibiting collection agencies from charging interest or fees on medical debt and preventing collection agencies from suing patients for payment if their income is at least 300% below the poverty line.

Ende emphasized medical debt is forcing Mainers to make hard choices between covering their debt or paying for their basic needs like food, housing and health care.

"We know people are not getting the medical services or prescription drugs they need because of the cost," Ende observed. "And just the added stress that households and families are having to face with this burden."

Ende added roughly one-third of Mainers with medical debt said they have incurred more credit card debt to pay medical bills. She called the proposed rule "a great start," but would like to see it go further by ensuring medical debt cannot be considered by prospective employers or landlords.

The public can submit comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through Aug. 12.

Disclosure: Consumers for Affordable Healthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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