June 27 webinar: ‘How Medical Debt Crushes Americans’

An estimated 100 million adults nationwide — four in 10 — are saddled with medical debt. The burden falls heaviest on low-income people and people of color, making it a significant driver of racial disparities in health and wealth. Our webinar will examine the scope of medical debt and its crushing impact on individuals and whole communities.

While Congress and the Biden administration have taken steps to ease the burden and protect consumers, new threats have emerged, including the growing use of high-interest medical credit cards. We’ll take a deeper look at this uniquely American problem and the push for solutions. We’ll share fresh story ideas and tips for reporting on this health care nightmare that traps people when they can least afford it. This is a story that reporters in every community can pursue — join us to get a head start in your own coverage.

Happening: June 27, 2023 at 10 a.m.-11 a.m. PT/1-2 p.m. ET

Berneta L. Haynes is a staff attorney at National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), where she focuses on medical debt and consumer energy policy. She recently authored NCLC’s report, “The Racial Health and Wealth Gap: Impact of Medical Debt on Black Families.”

Noam N. Levey is a senior correspondent for KFF Health News. He led the award-winning series “Diagnosis: Debt,” a yearlong multimedia project by KFF Health News, NPR and CBS News.

Mandy Spears Pellegrin is deputy director of the Sycamore Institute, an independent, nonpartisan public policy research center in Tennessee. She previously served as advisor to leaders at HHS under Presidents Bush and Obama.