Jennifer Holloway, our Equal Justice Works Fellow leading our Medical Debt Project, was a panelist in the American Bar Association’s recent webinar, “Medical Debt: Strategies for Tackling A Growing ‘Epidemic.’”

Panelists on the webinar gave an overview of the problem and impact of medical debt and discussed how states and the federal government are working to tackle it. Panelists highlighted state-level policy protections from limiting interest rates and statute of limitations on medical debt collections, to strong financial assistance policy requirements, to canceling all medical debt.

Jennifer uplifted the DC Government’s grant to purchase and cancel medical debt held by DC residents and the CFPB’s proposed rule to eliminate medical debt from credit reports used for lending decisions. She also discussed the impact of medical debt on clients’ physical, mental, and financial health, sharing how one client was turned away from getting healthcare because of her medical debt and another was pressured into taking out a medical credit card by her daughter’s surgeon.

The webinar acted as a catalyst for the ABA’s proposed resolution on addressing medical debt. The Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice is proposing that the House of Delegates adopt a resolution urging federal and state governments to enact laws, adopt policies, and support programs that alleviate the burden of medical debt. Watch the panel here and learn more about the resolution here.