Why Is Biden Pushing Medical Debt Relief if the Affordable Care Act Is Working?

Obamacare was supposed to be affordable, but on April 11, the White House announced new actions to “lessen the burden of medical debt and increase consumer protection.”  Why are consumers being flanked with extra medical bills if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was doing its job?  Devon Herrick, a health care economist, discusses Obamacare’s narrow networks and high deductibles as being a big part of the problem and how a free market in health could solve the problem of “medical debt.”

This is the fact sheet the White House released describing the need for medical debt relief and the actions it plans to take: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/11/fact-sheet-the-biden-administration-announces-new-actions-to-lessen-the-burden-of-medical-debt-and-increase-consumer-protection

Herrick discusses the following:

1.  Wasn’t medical debt what the ACA was designed to prevent?

2.  Fact sheet says the feds pay $1.5 trillion towards health care, why are people getting bills at all?

3. Do you have any concerns with preventing credit agencies not being allowed to use medical debt in credit ratings, would this send a chill to providers, might they restrict care unless you can first prove you can pay your extra bill?

4. Medical Debt forgiveness for low income vets…aren’t vets supposed to get free health care, period?

5. One action is informing consumers about their rights through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do we even consider this in industries where the free market is able to rein?

6.  Pete Sessions bill: What’s in it and how are its chances for success in Congress?

Devon Herrick’s health care blog at the Goodman Institute can be found here:

https://www.goodmanhealthblog.org