State lawmakers are forwarding a bill that would change how medical debt impacts Washingtonians’ credit scores.
Senate Bill 5480 doesn’t erase medical debt completely but it “declares a medical debt void and unenforceable if it is reported to a consumer credit reporting agency or credit bureau,” according to a Senate Bill Report.
The report goes on to say the bill “Prohibits specific entities from reporting medical debts to a consumer credit reporting agency or credit bureau, on pain of committing a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
According to an Economic Opportunity Institute article from the summer of 2024, approximately 95% of people in Washington have health insurance, but the amount of money being spent is still outpacing what they can afford.
On the plus side, according to the article, 6.5% of adults in Washington have medical debt, which is lower than in many other states. […]
— Read More: justthenews.com
