Posts categorized as: Medical Debt
News:
Publications:
As Federal Protections Stall, States Move to the Front Lines to Alleviate Medical Debt
This piece examines state medical debt protections, including financial assistance, bill payment plans, credit reporting restrictions, and lawsuit limits, as millions of Americans face rising medical bills and weakening federal support due to ACA premium credit expirations and reduced Medicaid and marketplace funding in 2026.
How States Can Help Curb the Rising Medical Debt Related to Federal Coverage Cuts
In a piece for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers highlight how recent federal policy changes are expected to increase coverage losses, underinsurance, and medical debt, raising concerns for state policymakers about how to protect patients from unaffordable medical bills while supporting financially strained health care providers.
State Protections Against Medical Debt: A Look at Policies Across the U.S. in 2025
In a report for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers examine federal and state medical debt protections and find that vague federal standards and widely varying state policies leave many patients at continued risk of medical debt.
States Continue to Enact Protections for Patients with Medical Debt
In a piece for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers highlight recent federal guidance and state actions to curb medical debt, while noting that most states have yet to adopt policies that prevent debt from accruing in the first place.
Blog Posts:
How States Can Help Curb the Rising Medical Debt Related to Federal Coverage Cuts
The budget reconciliation bill, combined with expiring enhanced premium tax credits and other recent...
Making Financial Assistance Programs Equitable and Accessible
In a recently published JAMA article, CHIR's Maanasa Kona discusses the steps states can take to imp...
States Continue to Enact Protections for Patients with Medical Debt
Earlier this summer, the Biden administration announced updated guidance on medical debt. In a new b...
Biden Administration Proposes Rule To Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reporting
In response to widespread concerns about the impact of medical debt, the Consumer Financial Protecti...