New 2026 Edition of Surviving Debt Offers Expanded Resources for People Struggling in Affordability Crisis
Free Online Guide Provides New Resources for Dealing with Medical Debt, Student Debt, Disaster Relief, and Property Tax Foreclosures
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KFF Health News: State Lawmakers Seek Restraints on Wage Garnishment for Medical Debt
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…
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Written Testimony in Support of Connecticut HB 5127
This testimony supports Connecticut bill HB 5127, An Act Concerning Medical Credit Cards.
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Prescription for Relief: Strategies for Resolving Medical Debt and Medical Credit Card Risks
TIME: 2 – 4 PM EST This session provides an overview of how to assist clients with medical debt, including those with debt on medical credit cards and related financial products. Through real-world case studies, presenters share practical strategies including how to identify if people are eligible for financial assistance and help them apply, how…
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USA Today: States advance medical debt protections as federal support fades
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…
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Testimony to the Council of the District of Columbia Committee on Health B26-0438 Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025 Position: Support
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…
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Trump Administration Tries to Block State Safeguards from Damaging Medical Debt on Credit Reports
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.
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What States Can Do About Medical Debt in Jails and Prisons
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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Inquest: Medical Debt Behind Bars
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…
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Medical Debt Defense - Defenses and Aggressive Counterclaims You Can Use in Your State
This seminar will give you the tools to vigorously defend medical debt collection and go on the offensive.
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NPR: Trump voters wanted lower medical bills. But for millions, bills are about to go up
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…
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