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Relief From Medical Debt

A black organizer filled with colorful file folders labeled for different hospitals. One folder is labeled"paid bills."
Medical debt is one of the top reasons for bankruptcy. Credit: Becky Werthington/Flickr

Lost jobs, lost wages, and mounting medical bills. The pandemic spotlighted overlapping financial and health dilemmas.

Senator Chris Van Hollen describes his proposalto prevent healthcare providers from taking drastic steps to collect debt during the pandemic.

Then, local United Church of Christ congregations recently wiped out $9 million in outstanding debt, buying bills from collection agencies at a fraction of face value. We speak with Rev. Tim Tutt, senior minister of Westmoreland Congregational in Bethesda, and Rev. Freeman Palmer, conference minister for the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Learn more about RIP Medical Debt here.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.