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House passes medical debt relief program to help low-income Pennsylvanians
Summary
Lawmakers approved House Bill 79 to create a medical debt repayment program aimed at reducing burdens on low-income residents; supporters said the program would improve access to care and benefit the economy, while debate emphasized screening, charity-assistance notices and return on investment.
The Pennsylvania House on May 13 passed House Bill 79, which lawmakers described on the floor as establishing a Pennsylvania medical debt repayment program to help low-income residents reduce or eliminate medical debt.
Proponents argued the program would increase access to care, free up family finances and deliver economic benefits; supporters included Representative Venkat, the bill’s prime sponsor, and Representatives Kosarowski, Davidson and Torzik, who spoke on the floor in favor of the measure. Opponents did not register a sustained floor opposition in the transcript excerpt.
Representative Venkat, the bill’s prime sponsor, framed the legislation as a targeted program to relieve medical obligations that otherwise push families into bankruptcy and impair economic recovery. Representative Kosarowski, a registered nurse, described on the floor how medical debt has affected patients she has treated and urged passage to reduce financial barriers to care. Representative Davidson emphasized cancer patients’ elevated exposure to medical debt and urged colleagues to consider the bill in that context.
The measure was put to a final roll-call vote; the clerk recorded 187 ayes and 16 nays on the final passage as reported on the floor. The bill passed the House and will be presented to the Senate for concurrence.
Ending: House Bill 79 passed the House on a recorded vote; it moves to the Senate for further consideration.
