TL/DR –
The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, National Economic Council, and Domestic Policy Council gathered federal and state officials to discuss reducing medical debt as part of President Biden’s agenda to lower costs for American families. They emphasized how medical debt prevents Americans from securing loans and essential services, and stressed the importance of healthcare access without the risk of debt. Various states shared their strategies for tackling medical debt, including addressing unfair debt collection practices and surprise billing, while the Biden-Harris administration highlighted their ongoing work to lower healthcare costs, such as promoting competition in the healthcare market and proposing a rule to remove medical bills from credit reports.
Importance of Reducing Medical Debt
The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, National Economic Council, and Domestic Policy Council recently gathered over 80 federal and state officials. Their focus was on President Biden’s agenda to lower family costs by reducing medical debt. It was highlighted that one in three adults– which accounts for almost 100 million Americans, struggle with unpaid medical bills which affects their ability to secure loans or afford essential needs.
Striving To Tackle Medical Debt
The officials emphasized the need to tackle medical debt to improve the health and well-being of Americans. They also acknowledged states like California, Colorado, and Washington for their progressive efforts in addressing medical debt issues such as payment products, debt collection practices and surprise billing.
Administration’s Commitment to Lower Health Care Costs
This roundtable is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing commitment to lower health care costs. Some of the recent actions include:
- President Biden’s actions to lower health care and prescription drug costs.
- HHS announcement of over 7 million Americans signing up for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan.
- CFPB’s report on the challenges faced by American families due to debt collectors chasing unpaid medical bills.
- President Biden’s new rules to limit surprise medical billing.
Roundtable Speakers
The roundtable featured several speakers including notable figures such as Lael Brainard, Assistant to the President and National Economic Advisor, Neera Tanden, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council, Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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