Sen. Brown commends action addressing consumer medical debt

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is commending the Biden administration’s recent decision to take action regarding addressing consumer medical debt.

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Last month, Brown advocated for the Biden administration to take greater action to ease consumer medical debt burdens during a hearing and correspondence to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

“No one should have their financial future ruined because they get sick,” said Brown, chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. “These are important steps to protect Americans from abusive debt collectors, help more than half a million veterans have their medical debt forgiven, and open up opportunities for more people to buy homes and start businesses. We will keep working to hold private companies accountable, and to bring down the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, so fewer Americans face this debt in the
first place.”

Last month, Brown joined Cleveland, Ohio, resident Robyn King to discuss how she was dealing with wrongful medical debt and Brown’s efforts to protect Ohioans like her from the practices.

Brown encouraged the CFPB to create a medical debt consumer advocate position for medical debt to aid consumers in resolving complaints while ensuring companies are complying with federal laws protecting Americans from surprise medical bills.