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Consumer Group Applauds Biden Administration Action to Relieve Medical Debt
National Consumer Law Center says White House action will benefit patients
Following an announcement that the White House is taking action to offer consumers relief from medical debt, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) applauded the move and said it would benefit patients who are struggling with debt as a result of an illness.
“We appreciate the White House’s efforts to improve protections for consumers facing medical debt, especially directing the Department of Health and Human Services to examine whether healthcare providers are providing adequate financial assistance for economically struggling uninsured or underinsured consumers,” said Jenifer Bosco, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “We have seen too many patients face lawsuits and debt collection from nonprofit hospitals when they should have received hospital financial assistance instead.”
A previous report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) notes that Americans have $88 billion in medical debt on their credit reports.
In the announcement today, the White House indicated:
Secretary Becerra is directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to evaluate how…
