A bill that would remove medical debt from credit reports is headed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk after passing the state House and Senate.
If signed into law, medical debt will no longer be reported to credit reporting agencies or appear on New Yorker's consumer credit reports, according to a June 21 news release from low-income advocacy group Community Service Society of New York.
A poll found that 41 percent of New Yorkers have either appealed a medical bill or paid one they did not think they owed for fear of being sued or placed into collections, according to the release. Another 38 percent said they avoided care or sacrificed other necessities because of the cost of healthcare.
The #EndMedicalDebt campaign, initiated by the Community Service Society and more than 50 nonprofit organizations, worked with state lawmakers to pass the legislation during this year's legislative session, according to the release.