LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are joining forces to help people tackle their medical debt.
The plan was recently introduced in the Michigan Senate by Senators Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) and Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater). They said it’s a critical step toward keeping Michigan residents both physically and financially healthy.
About 700,000 of those people are living in Michigan, and Taperra Riddle is one of them.
“I was called maybe a few months ago, just about my ambulance bill,” she told News 10.
Riddle needed an ambulance ride back in 2019. It was just a few short months before she enrolled in Medicaid, and she thought she was covered.
“They told me it was over $700,” she said.
Out of the hospital and still struggling with her mental health, the cost was difficult for Riddle to cover.
“I could not work after I got hospitalized,” she said. “I was just having trouble with getting my medication stabilized and things like that.”
Riddle is not alone. It’s stories like hers that Sen. Anthony and Sen. Lindsey’s legislation is targeting.
Their proposals would keep medical debt off of patients’ credit reports and set clear guidelines for hospitals to offer financial assistance programs.
Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, Dr. Rob Davidson, said, as a physician, it’s an exciting thing to see.
He believes that passing this bipartisan proposal could mean more people receiving health care without added stress.
“If one of my patients incurs health care costs that are beyond their ability to pay, and they have to take on debt as debt, that won’t follow them around and not allow them to say, get a mortgage, or buy a vehicle,” he said.
Michigan Health and Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters also shared his thoughts on the newly introduced legislation, issuing the following statement to News 10:
“Affordability should never be a barrier to care. Although it may look different across organizations, Michigan hospitals are already providing financial assistance programming that has long-supported patients and communities across the state. While the proposed legislation may change reporting requirements, hospitals remain committed to caring for everyone who walks through their doors.”
The proposals are under review by the Michigan Senate Committee on Health Policy.
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