I know people that are trying to pay off their debt for the medical expenses…..it is not easy for them. Why doesn’t someone do something?
Enter Sen. Bernie Sanders…..
Studies have shown that millions of Americans owe a combined $220 billion in medical debt, with 1 in 5 adults saying they don’t expect to ever be able to pay off the bills. A group of congressional Democrats on Wednesday proposed knocking the amount down to zero. “People in our country should not be going bankrupt because they got cancer and could not afford to pay their medical bills,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday in a statement. The legislation would remove the debt from credit reports and severely limit future debt from accruing, the Hill reports.
The legislation would cancel existing debt through a new federal grant program, per the Guardian. It would alter the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to keep creditors from collecting old medical bills and change the Consumer Credit Reporting Act to prohibit credit agencies from reporting information about unpaid health care bills. Rep. Ro Khanna, one of the co-sponsors, talked about the stress the debt causes. “I’ve met people who say they’re just resigned to having this debt ruin their credit, and they don’t pay it, but they have this kind of harassment and anxiety while they’re dealing with a chronic condition like cancer or diabetes,” he said.
The burden of medical debt is not evenly distributed. An analysis by KFF Health News found that people with disabilities were more than twice as likely to be in medical debt than those without a disability. In addition, 13% of Black Americans have the debt, compared to 7% of white adults and 8% of Hispanic adults. Ensuring that people are not plunged into debt because they saw a doctor or went to an emergency room is “kind of human decency,” Khanna said.
I applaud Bernie’s bill and its supporters….at least these people are looking out for the American people and not who gets the biggest piece of taxpayer pie.
A great idea in my book….but it will go nowhere in Congress….for you see the insurance industry has buckets of money to throw that those in Congress to do their bidding.
So sad just how screwed up this system is when a debilitating illness can leave you in a refrigerator box under a bridge somewhere.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
I agree, it is a great idea that will probably never see the light of day. Time to start using some of those billions of dollars so readily sent to foreign countries to fight proxy wars, and divert it to looking after American people instead.
Best wishes, Pete.
I just wish Americans were not so damn gullible to believe these wars are necessary. chuq
Pete said it way better than I could. Why do the other countries need our money when our people are dying? I’ll just stop there before I rant.
Thanx for the comment but it is safe to rant here…..chuq
Foreign aid is less than 1% of the US budget. Military and Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security both make up a large part of the rest of expenditures.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_federal_budget
The War Department gets almost a trillion dollars….that could be shrunk. chuq
Considering our military is equal in funding to the militaries of the next five largest militaries, one wonders how much of that spending helps various senators and congressmen support their expensive tastes.
Lobbyists have buckets of money with Congress’ name on it….so I would say that their money is well spent since they get whatever they want. chuq
There was a time when there were no refrigerator boxes.
Then it was packing crates. chuq
That is what insurance is for.
Not everyone gets free medical. chuq
Illnesses and care management are an issue you described well but an aspect I care to add is elder care for parents in serious decline. I was able to retire and took care of my parents when they moved in with me but I don’t think I even know anyone that can afford nursing homes. That level of care won’t be available to me as only family are my son and daughter and their own kids and they make barely enough to support their own households. I can expect to die home and alone but it is the most cost effective exit.
I know what you mean….my father lived with me until his death and he could afford nursing home and neither could I…..so I had watch him drift away….I am fortunate that I am in pretty good health at 77 but that could change tomorrow and at the cost of health care it does not look bright. chuq