Public Comments for: HB1725 - Medical Debt Protection Act; created, prohibited practices, penalties.
Dear Chair Ward and Members of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, I’m writing in support of HB 1725 on behalf of ZERO Prostate Cancer, the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer and help all those who are impacted, and on behalf of the patients and patient advocates we represent. 9% of Virginians are in medical debt. Medical debt and income lost to illness has been linked to over 60% of bankruptcies in the US, and half of cancer patients and survivors have had medical debt related to their cancer, according to a 2024 American Cancer Society survey. Patients with cancer-related medical debt are three times more likely to be behind on screenings, and the impacts of medical debt are disproportionately borne by those at-risk for prostate cancer. ZERO Prostate Cancer supports the passage of HB 1725, which would give patients needed protections from the financially toxic impacts of medical debt. Please follow up with georgia@zerocancer.org with any questions.
The American Lung Association strongly supports this bill as an integral way to address the burden of medical debt on people with lung disease and other health conditions in Virginia. House Bill 1725 provides reasonable protections to shield patients from the negative impact of medical debt, including protecting patients from extraordinary medical debt collection methods, including wage garnishment and foreclosure on primary homes, eliminating interest and late fees on medical bills, and ensuring patients have access to affordable payment plans capped at 5% of their monthly income. The American Lung Association thanks the Virginia General Assembly for their continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the residents of the Commonwealth. The American Lung Association strongly supports House Bill 1725 which would shield patients from negative consequences of medical debt. We encourage swift action to move the bill out of committee and passage by the General Assembly.
The Virginia Grassroots Coalition, representing 50 groups with over 10,000 Virginia members submits this comment in support of HB1725, the Medical Debt Protection Act. At the federal level, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has documented the serious problems that medical debt causes. As the CFPB concluded: The growing promotion and use of medical cards and installment loans can increase the financial burden on patients who may pay more than they otherwise would pay and may compromise medical outcomes. When people are unable to pay their medical bills, research shows this can deter them from seeking needed healthcare in the future. The use of medical cards and installment loans, and their promotion by medical providers, has ripple effects on the broader cost of healthcare, consumer wellbeing, and the economy. CFPB Report on Medical Credit Cards and Financing Plans May 4, 2023 Additional excerpts from the CFPB's research are explained in the attached document.
The Virginia Grassroots Coalition, composed of over 50 groups of over 10,000 Virginians, submits this comment in support of the HB 1725, the Medical Debt Protection Act. We urge the Subcommitte and Committee to support it.
The American Lung Association strongly supports this bill as an integral way to address the burden of medical debt on people with lung disease and other health conditions in Virginia. House Bill 1725 provides reasonable protections to shield patients from the negative impact of medical debt, including protecting patients from extraordinary medical debt collection methods, including wage garnishment and foreclosure on primary homes, eliminating interest and late fees on medical bills, and ensuring patients have access to affordable payment plans capped at 5% of their monthly income. The American Lung Association thanks the Virginia General Assembly for their continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the residents of the Commonwealth. The American Lung Association strongly supports House Bill 1725 which would shield patients from negative consequences of medical debt. We encourage swift action to move the bill out of committee and passage by the General Assembly.
Dear Chair Ward and Honorable Members of the House Labor and Commerce Committee: I am writing on behalf of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the over 780,000 adult Virginians living with diabetes to express our support for House Bill 1725 - prohibiting a large health care facility or medical debt buyer from charging interest or late fees on medical debt and easing the burden of medical debt by offering payment plans. For people diagnosed with diabetes, their medical expenditures are 2.6 times higher than would be expected without diabetes. For families impacted by diabetes, they are also twice as likely to have medical debt when compared to families that do not have a member with diabetes. The ADA strongly supports efforts to minimize financial burdens that can put access to care out of reach for people with diabetes. People with medical debt have reported this burden as a driving factor for delaying care or not filling their prescriptions. For people with diabetes, it is critical that we eliminate financial barriers that may result in them forgoing the care that they need to manage the disease. Unmanaged diabetes can lead to costly and devastating complications including cardiovascular disease, blindness, amputations, kidney failure and death. Limiting interest from accruing on medical debt will help minimize the financial burden on patients. Large interest rates increase the amount that patients owe, significantly impacting their ability to afford medical treatment. Additionally, the ADA supports the inclusion of this provision to improve transparency and ensure that hospitals work with patients to establish reasonable payment plans. People with diabetes incur monthly costs associated with managing their disease and we encourage any monthly limit to consider a person’s ongoing treatment costs. Payment plans and monthly limits should be individualized, and patient centered. Thank you for the opportunity to express ADA’s support for HB 1725. We are encouraged to see the legislature address the burden of medical debt and ensure that people with diabetes can afford the tools they need to manage the disease with dignity. For the reasons outlined, I urge you to support HB 1725. Thank you very much for your attention. If you have any questions, I am available at mbillger@diabetes.org Sincerely, Monica Billger State Government Affairs Director American Diabetes Association