Healthcare Access & Medical Debt
What I Believe
Healthcare is a fundamental necessity, not a privilege. It must be accessible, affordable, and transparent for every American.
The Problem: Predatory Costs and Crushing Debt
Rising healthcare costs, unpredictable billing, and predatory practices by hospitals, insurers, and collection agencies trap working families in debilitating medical debt while simultaneously limiting access to necessary care, driving a massive financial crisis for those who need help most.
What I'll Do - The Medical Debt Relief and Access Act - MDRAA
- Mandate Radical Price Transparency (The “Know Before You Go” Rule): Require hospitals, clinics, and insurance providers to publicly disclose the full, clear, and unbundled price of all common procedures, services, and drugs before the service is rendered. This allows patients to compare costs and forces competition into the market.
- Cap Interest and Eliminate Predatory Medical Debt: Pass federal legislation to cap the interest rate on all past and future medical debt at 0%. Prohibit the reporting of medical debt under a certain threshold to consumer credit agencies, effectively ending the practice of medical debt ruining credit scores and preventing financial ruin.
- Expand Access to Primary Care and Behavioral Health: Provide federal grants and incentives to expand the number of primary care physicians, rural clinics, and mental health professionals, making routine and preventive care more accessible and affordable, thereby reducing reliance on expensive emergency room visits.
- Crack Down on Exploitative Billing and Collection: Establish a dedicated federal task force to investigate and prosecute hospitals and collection agencies engaged in predatory billing practices, including balance billing after insurance payment, aggressive collection tactics, and charging uninsured patients significantly higher rates than insured patients.
Why It Matters
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. No family should have to choose between survival and financial ruin.