Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris wants to forgive medical debt for millions of Americans.
The economic plan Harris rolled out last week notes that the Democratic presidential nominee and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, would work with states to relieve people of their medical debt and “to help them avoid accumulating such debt in the future, because no one should go bankrupt just because they had the misfortune of becoming sick or hurt.”
Some 15 million Americans have medical bills on their credit reports, according to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau research published in April. People in the U.S. owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, a February KFF analysis found.
“Medical debt affects an enormous number of people, so it’s an issue that resonates with voters,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF.
Indeed, 51% of adults say it is extremely or very important for the federal government to forgive medical debt, compared with 39% who said the same about student loan debt, according to a May poll conducted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The groups surveyed 1,309 adults.
“Vice President Harris may see student loan forgiveness and medical debt forgiveness as both addressing inequities that prevent people from achieving the American dream,” said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.
The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Former President Donald Trump hasn’t come out with a medical debt cancellation proposal, but as president he pushed for more price transparency for patients and to curb surprise medical bills.
The Trump administration also tried but failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Overturning even portions of that law would lead to more Americans becoming uninsured and higher premium costs for policyholders, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget office.
Harris differentiates herself with focus on medical debt
By coming out with a medical debt forgiveness plan, Harris may be looking to differentiate herself from President Joe Biden and his student debt efforts, said Braxton Brewington, press secretary for the Debt Collective, an organization that advocates for debt cancellation.
Biden has forgiven more student debt than any other president.
“She has the freedom to move into another space,” Brewington said, adding that Harris would likely continue Biden’s work on student debt, as well.
“I’m sure she’ll do both,” he said.
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The American health-care system has long been on Harris’ radar.