Hank Johnson: “Today I rise in support of H.R. 3421, the Medical Debt Relief Act of 2009, which will ease the financial burden…”

“Today I rise in support of H.R. 3421, the Medical Debt Relief Act of 2009, which will ease the financial burden shouldered by American families facing unaffordable but necessary health care expenses. Millions of Americans--especially unemployed Americans--struggle to afford the health care they need. Illness can befall anyone, and the financial burdens can be devastating. According to a joint study conducted by Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School, almost half of Americans who file for bankruptcy do so because of medical expenses. In my district, there were 2,200 health care related bankruptcies in 2008 alone. The Medical Debt Relief Act will ensure that Americans who have paid or settled their medical debt in full will have that medical debt removed from their credit records. Americans who are no longer indebted by medical expenses should not continue to be penalized and suffer from compromised financial standing and poor credit simply because they needed more time to fully pay off medical bills that can often be insurmountable. I supported the historic health care reform we passed this Congress because I believe that quality health care should not be a privilege reserved for those with means. The Medical Debt Relief Act, is another step in the right direction. I support this legislation because it will protect Americans from some of the unnecessary, lifelong financial hardships that can arise from illness.”