Both candidates have health records, but Donald Trump doesn’t often talk about his health on the campaign trail.
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Patient and consumer advocacy groups are hoping that if Kamala Harris wins next month’s presidential election, she will accelerate federal efforts to help people struggling with medical debt.
And they see the vice president and Democratic nominee as their best hope for preserving access to health care for Americans. Experts say comprehensive coverage that limits patients’ out-of-pocket costs is the best defense against debt.
The Biden administration is expanding financial protections for patients, including a landmark proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports.
President Joe Biden also signed into law the Control Inflation Act in 2022, which limits the out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for Medicare enrollees, including a $35 monthly cap on insulin. And in statehouses across the country, Democrats and Republicans are quietly giving speeches. work together Enact laws to curb debt collection.
But advocates say the problem is straining 100 million Americans, forcing many to take on extra jobs, give up their homes and cut spending on food and other necessities. They say the federal government can do more to address it.
“Biden and Harris have done more to address this nation’s medical debt crisis than any other administration,” said the nonprofit organization that has led the national effort to strengthen protections against medical debt. said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy at Community Catalyst. “But there is still much work to be done, and it should be a top priority for the next Congress and administration.”
At the same time, patient advocates say that if former President Donald Trump wins a second term, he could authorize cuts to states’ Medicaid programs and reduce federal subsidies that help Americans buy health insurance. There are concerns that this could weaken insurance protection. That would put millions of people at greater risk of incurring debt if they get sick.
President Trump and Congressional Republicans in 2017 tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act during their first term, a bill that would strip millions of Americans of health insurance and cover diseases such as diabetes and cancer. An independent analyst concluded that it would increase costs for people with pre-existing conditions. . The Trump administration also deregulated health insurance, reducing coverage and promoting cheaper “skinny plans,” which typically leave people with big bills if they get sick. Although President Trump did sign the bipartisan No Surprise Act, which provides some protections against the most egregious cases of out-of-network claims, Trump and his Republican allies continue to attack the ACA. are. The former president has said he wants to repeal the Inflation Control Act, which also included aid to help low- and middle-income Americans buy health insurance.
“People will face a wave of medical debt from paying insurance premiums and prescription drug prices,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, a consumer group that supports federal health care protections. said. “Patients and the public should be concerned.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to inquiries about health care policy. And while the former president doesn’t typically discuss health insurance or medical debt on the campaign trail, he said in a debate last month that he had “envisioned a plan” to improve the ACA. Trump did not provide details.
Harris has repeatedly promised to protect the ACA and renew the expanded subsidies for monthly premiums created by the Inflation Control Act. That aid is scheduled to expire next year.
The vice president also expressed support for increased government spending to buy and pay off old medical debt for patients. In recent years, many states and cities have bought out medical debt on behalf of their residents.
These efforts have eased debt for hundreds of thousands of people, but many patient and consumer advocates believe that without more substantial action, old debts will continue to mount as bills patients cannot afford. argues that abolishing it is at best a short-term solution.
“This is a boat with a hole in it,” said Katie Burge, a lobbyist for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The patient organization was one of more than 50 organizations established last year. letter sent For the Biden administration’s call for federal agencies to take more aggressive steps to protect Americans from medical debt.
“Medical debt is no longer a niche issue,” said Kirsten Sloan, who works on federal policy for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. “It’s the key to the economic well-being of millions of Americans.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is developing regulations that would prohibit medical bills from being billed from consumer credit reports. This would improve credit scores and make it easier for millions of Americans to rent an apartment, get a job, or secure a car loan.
Harris enthusiastically supported the proposed rule, arguing that medical debt is “crucial to the financial health and well-being of millions of Americans.” “No one should be denied access to economic opportunity simply because they have experienced a medical emergency,” she said in June.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, said he signed the state law into law in June after Harris said his family struggled with medical debt when she was younger. Debt collection crackdown.
CFPB officials said the regulations will be finalized early next year. President Trump has not said whether he will implement medical debt protection measures. The CFPB did little to tackle medical debt in its first term in office, and Republicans in Congress have long criticized the regulator.
If Harris wins, many consumer groups are calling on the CFPB to do more to crack down on medical credit cards and other financial products that hospitals and other health care providers have begun pushing on patients. . These loans lock people into medical debt plus interest payments.
April Kuhnhoff, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said, “A variety of new health care financial products are emerging that may raise new consumer protection concerns and that the CFPB and other regulators It is important to monitor these products.” companies. ”
Some supporters want other federal agencies to get involved as well.
This includes the huge Department of Health and Human Services, which administers hundreds of billions of dollars through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. That money gives the federal government significant influence over hospitals and other health care providers.
So far, the Biden administration has not used that leverage to tackle medical debt.
But in a potential preview of future action, North Carolina leaders recently won federal approval for a medical debt initiative that would force hospitals to take steps to alleviate patient debt in exchange for government aid. . Mr Harris praised the initiative.
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