As judge ordered medical debt to stay on credit reports, Americans face financial stress

“I have been receiving medical bills my whole life,” said Leroy Brown, a 61-year-old part-time worker at a local nonprofit in Indianapolis that helps people in prison. Brown said he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997, a condition that requires regular doctor visits. He also underwent knee surgery after a workplace accident. These medical conditions have left him with a debt of $40,000, which is the amount not covered by his health insurance. About 41 percent of American adults have some form of medical debt, according to a 2022 survey, the most recent healthcare debt research conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a nonprofit organization focused on health policy. “Medical debt is fundamentally different from other kinds of consumer debt because it’s debt that consumers don’t choose,” said Helen Colby, an Indiana University professor who researches consumer financial and health decision-making. In early January, the Biden administration introduced a federal rule barring medical debt from being included in credit reports. But on July 11, a federal judge in Texas struck down the rule, saying it exceeded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s authority. Colby said the inclusion of medical debt in credit reports will make it more difficult for people to find apartments, buy cars, and get jobs. Brown said he retired from a 30-year career in hospital transportation and now receives disability benefits. With the help of a lawyer, he filed for bankruptcy last month because the debt had become unmanageable. “I am tired, and I’m getting older,” he said. “I don’t need anything at this age stressing me out.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.