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The push to erase medical debt is gaining speed

Vice President Kamala Harris wants to erase medical debt for millions of Americans. The issue is getting more airtime leading up to November's election.
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Lawmakers and hospitals are divided on providing free care for tax breaks

Nonprofit hospitals say legislative efforts that require them to provide more free care could hurt the people they are intended to help.
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Women pay more than men for health care. That's leading some of them to declare bankruptcy.

Apr 8, 2024
Even when pregnancy-related costs are stripped out, women still pay more than men.
Female employees spend about $266 a year more out-of-pocket for health care than their male colleagues, a Deloitte study finds.
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Has legislation to stop surprise medical bills worked?

Yes and no. Patients have avoided millions of surprise bills, but a plan to cut wider health care spending has seen mixed results.
"Ultimately, this law is protecting more people from the kinds of medical debt that you're covering on the show, but that protection may come at a price: higher insurance premiums for millions," said Dan Gorenstein, executive editor at Tradeoffs.
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How medical debt can exacerbate pain and suffering

As part of a live event, we break down the medical debts that some Americans owe and the shame, guilt and uncertainty that can come with it.
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How can we build a better health care system?

Experts say 3 million people in the U.S. have more than $10,000 in medical debt each.
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Health and Wealth: Why Americans are drowning in medical debt

Almost a third of all working adults in the United States are carrying some kind of medical debt — that’s about 15% of all U.S. households.
Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States and affects almost a third of working Americans.
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