Thread by @aneripattani

🧵I met Penny Wingard last Dec. At the time, I had no idea what it would mean to follow someone who has medical debt. But I’ve learned a lot since—some of which I’ve shared in this @KHNews/@NPR story & some in this thread. khn.org/news/article/m…

@KHNews @NPR 2/ For starters, a quick background on Penny: She’s 58 and lives in Charlotte, NC. She’s survived breast cancer, a brain aneurysm, and transplants on both eyes. She loves hoop earrings and is a music/concert aficionado. I was introduced to her by @rcerese @ncjustice

3/ She had insurance during breast cancer treatment through a special program, but it ended once she was in remission. In North Carolina—1 of 12 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid—she doesn’t qualify for public insurance. And none of her jobs has offered insurance. (@KFF map)

4/ Bills started adding up for follow-ups, tests, and scans. By the time I met Penny, she estimated she had >$50k in medical debt.

I assumed that meant she dealt with bills in the mail and harassing calls from collectors. But that’s not even half of it.

5/ Medical debt invades every part of her life. Her credit score has sunk so low she can’t qualify for loans. Employers turn her away b/c they think low credit means she’s irresponsible. An aunt she’s borrowed money from barely speaks to her anymore. #diagnosisdebt

6/ She hasn't seen her original oncologist in years. After she became uninsured and racked up debt, he cut her off until she paid down the bills.

7/ She’s resourceful though. She’s found other doctors who see her while letting bills go unpaid, a pharmacy program that provides meds for $1-$3 copays, and nonprofits that help pay for certain care. But goodwill and charity programs aren’t a permanent fix.

8/ In March, when @Equifax @Experian @TransUnion announced changes to medical debt on credit reports, I thought it might finally bring the relief Penny needed.

It was celebrated as a landmark change, and is estimated to help 16 million Americans.

washingtonpost.com/business/2022/…

9/ But Penny won’t be one of them.

The change only removes from credit reports those debts that are paid or under $500. Those typically come from unpaid copays or coinsurance. Penny, who is uninsured, has debts that are much larger.

10/ A report from @CFPB suggests there are many people with high levels of debt like Penny—especially Black and Hispanic Americans in southern states that haven’t expanded Medicaid. And they’re slightly less likely to benefit from these changes. consumerfinance.gov/data-research/…

11/ Even though research shows these are the same people who have the highest amounts of debt and need the relief most.

via @kff: kff.org/health-costs/r…

via @jama_current: jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…

via @BrookingsInst: brookings.edu/research/the-r…

@KFF @JAMA_current @BrookingsInst 12/ “Although the credit reporting companies have trumpeted this as a big change, the fact is they're just removing the small stuff,” said @bardwnb of @CFPB. “They're not maybe doing as good of a thing as their press releases would like you to believe.”

@KFF @JAMA_current @BrookingsInst @bardwnb @CFPB 13/ So Penny still gets turned away from doctors' offices, from jobs, and from loans because of her bad credit. She has a broken stove and fridge, and a leak in her ceiling. But she can’t get a loan to fix them.

@KFF @JAMA_current @BrookingsInst @bardwnb @CFPB 14/ At times she feels ashamed of her situation. But the truth is, it’s our healthcare system that is unaffordable. Our financial system that makes it difficult to leave poverty. And our political system that hasn’t come up with fixes for those hurt most by medical debt.

@KFF @JAMA_current @BrookingsInst @bardwnb @CFPB 15/ Penny says what we need is a march on Washington for healthcare.

16/ Read the full story or listen to the 6 minute audio story here via @KHNews @NPR @NPRHealth #diagnosisdebt

/end

npr.org/sections/healt…