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House commerce committee lays over Minnesota Medical Debt Reset Act after testimony from patients, providers and officials
Summary
The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee laid over House File 1646, a bill to authorize state support for municipal-style medical debt purchase-and-forgiveness programs, after a hearing featuring patients, a city official, the attorney general and physicians who urged passage.
The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on March 1 laid over House File 1646, the Minnesota Medical Debt Reset Act, after testimony from city officials, patients and physicians who described how medical debt has affected Minnesotans.
The bill would authorize the state to invest in partnerships with nonprofit debt‑abolition organizations to buy bundled, uncollected hospital debt from providers and cancel it at a fraction of face value. Representative Reyer moved the bill to be laid over for further consideration.
Supporters said the program can deliver large amounts of relief for a modest public investment. Casey Weidrick, financial capability manager for the City of St. Paul, said the city committed $1,100,000 to an Undue Medical Debt initiative that his office estimates relieved roughly $110,000,000 of debt for St. Paul residents. "The City and Undue Medical…
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