Originally appearing in KFF Health News on February 20, 2026, Rae Ellen Bichell talks to Carolyn Carter, senior attorney at NCLC about how lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. Carter said broad laws that don’t require patients to jump through hoops to…
This testimony supports Connecticut bill HB 5127, An Act Concerning Medical Credit Cards.
Read More about Written Testimony in Support of Connecticut HB 5127
Appearing in USA Today and KFF Health News on December 19, 2025, Rae Ellen Bichell interviews NCLC Director of Consumer Reporting and Data Advocacy Chi Chi Wu for coverage of how lawmakers in several states are working to expand medical debt protections for patients, even after the Trump administration reversed course and told states they…
Read More about USA Today: States advance medical debt protections as federal support fades
The Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025, B26-0438, will reduce the burden of medical debt for families in the District of Columbia. B26-0438 expands access to hospital financial assistance for low-income families, limits credit reporting of medical debt, establishes protections against wage garnishment and home liens, and caps interest rates to 3% on medical…
The guidance comes as millions face 100 to 300 percent increases in medical insurance premiums due to the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Many jails and prisons charge various fees, such as medical co-pays, emergency fees, prescription co-pays, medical device fees, and fees for necessary hygiene items. This issue brief discusses the problems caused by such fees and proposes state solutions.
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Incarcerated people accrue debt for nearly all of their medical care, which, according to NCLC staff attorney Anna Anderson, author of an op-ed appearing in Inquest on September 2, 2025, this makes a mockery of their right to health care—and saddles them with devastating debt upon release. “Despite how expensive it is, the care provided…
Appearing in NPR and KFF Health News on July 25, 2025, Noam Levey interviews Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center for coverage of how, by paring back federal rules and programs designed to protect patients from the high cost of health care, the Trump administration…
This article brings readers up to date on the latest developments on litigation involving the CFPB rule, new state legislation, and how consumers should respond to the voluntary actions by the big three.
Read More about Digital Library: The Latest on Keeping Medical Debt Out of Credit Reports
Serious Harms Await Working People as Senators Slash Healthcare and Consumer Protections to Boost Billionaires
Read More about Low-Income Communities Hit Hard as Senate Passes Brutal Reconciliation Bill
Appearing in The Guardian on June 12, 2025, Jessica Glenza interviews NCLC Senior Attorney April Kuehnhoff for coverage of how medical debt financing and “patient access” companies are pitching their services to struggling rural hospitals nervous about keeping the doors open, as congressional Republicans consider healthcare cuts that could leave 16 million Americans without insurance. “This really…
