LISTEN: Bad credit can prevent you from getting a job, getting a car loan or renting an apartment. For many Americans, healthcare debt is to blame. KFF Health News Senior Correspondent Noam N. Levy appeared Nov. 12 on WAMU's “Health Hub” to explain why new federal rules on healthcare debt and credit reports are worrying some consumer advocates.
It is estimated that more than 100 million Americans have medical debt. In response, more than a dozen states have passed laws prohibiting these unpaid bills from being included on consumer credit reports.
The Trump administration was removing this protection.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, led by President Donald Trump's budget director, has issued new guidance that challenges state laws, saying only the federal government can decide what can be included on a credit report. Consumer advocates say the move could undermine state-level protections and worsen the financial burden on Americans saddled with medical bills.
KFF Health News Senior Correspondent Noam N. Levy appeared Nov. 12 on WAMU's “Health Hub” to explain why state laws like these may be especially important in the wake of the One Big Beautiful Bill that would remove millions of dollars from Medicaid and the potential end of expanded tax breaks for people buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces.
KFF health news is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF, an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism. Find out more about KFF.
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