Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Maryland lawmakers hear competing medical-debt purchase bills aimed at cancelling patient balances
Summary
Delegates heard two bills that would authorize third parties — local governments or nonprofits — to buy and forgive medical debt, with sponsors citing the DC precedent and advocates urging flexibility; lawmakers pressed authors about consumer protections and fiscal impacts.
The House Health and Government Operations Committee heard two related bills that would allow the purchase and cancellation of medical debt: House Bill 7 65, which would let local governments buy patient medical debt, and House Bill 13 24, which would let nonprofit organizations buy and cancel medical debt. Sponsors and witnesses told the committee that large swaths of Maryland households carry medical obligations that can derail credit and economic opportunity.
Delegate Ivy introduced HB 7 65 as a local-government option, describing the measure as a tool counties and municipalities could use when discretionary funds are available. Delegate Ryan…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
