@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews We are grateful for the support of The @commonwealthfnd & The @CalEndow for making this webinar possible.

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews That’s a wrap! 🎬 Huge thanks to everyone who tuned in and to our panelists @JessicaGlenza & @RaeEllenBichell for today’s insightful conversation on “How Medical Debt Is Pummeling Americans.” Stay tuned for the recording on our site soon. #MedicalDebt #Webinar #HealthEquity

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@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews Reporting tip from @JessicaGlenza: “Chip away at big stories one piece at a time and learn the language of bill collectors.” “Don’t ignore the PR pitches. Sometimes the companies you see as ‘the bad guys’ reveal how the system really works.” #HealthJournalism #ReportingTips

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews “Even in states with protections, patients often have to know and enforce their own rights,” says @RaeEllenBichell. Advocates worry collectors may still sue or garnish wages illegally, leaving vulnerable people to navigate the system alone. #MedicalDebt

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews “Only five U.S. states have fully banned wage garnishment for medical debt,” notes @RaeEllenBichell. Others, like New Jersey, restrict garnishment for households earning under ~$200K per household, but enforcement remains unclear. #MedicalDebt #HealthJournalism

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@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews “In Colorado, just four collectors were behind the vast majority of wage-garnishment cases for medical debt,” says @RaeEllenBichell. A handful of actors are driving thousands of lawsuits, showing how concentrated and aggressive the system has become. #MedicalDebt #Webinar

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @Princeton_DCL @urbaninstitute @KFFHealthNews “Communities of color are more likely to experience debt of all kinds,” @JessicaGlenza adds. “In some areas, aggressive collections come down to one law firm convincing hospitals it’s easy money. It can be that simple.” #MedicalDebt

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @RaeEllenBichell highlights tools like: 📊 @Princeton_DCL for lawsuits & debt data 🗺️ @urbaninstitute for maps by county & debt type 🏥 @KFFHealthNews' Diagnosis Debt Project for hospital policies on suing patients, denying care, or selling debt #HealthJournalismTools

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS Some court records showed people pleading with judges, @RaeEllenBichell says. "I’m falling behind on gas & water. At this rate, I’ll lose everything,” she read on one court filing Many couldn’t even afford the $80 filing fee to respond, yet still faced #wagegarnishment, she adds

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@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS "If you can’t maintain your health, how are you supposed to work to pay back a debt?", one advocate commented to @RaeEllenBichell. She adds: Suing patients and garnishing wages is “kicking people when they’re down." #MedicalDebt #HealthJournalism

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “Some medical debts grew for 20 years (with 8% interest) until they equaled two-thirds of a home’s value,” says @JessicaGlenza Default judgments and property liens didn’t just wreck credit, they left patients unable to fix or even age safely in their own homes. #MedicalDebt

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “In many cases, courts add an 8% annual interest rate on top of medical debts, compounding year after year,” notes @JessicaGlenza #MedicalDebt #Webinar

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS Some cases involve debts as small as $30, showing how easy it is for collectors to file and how hard it is for patients to fight back, explains @RaeEllenBichell. #MedicalDebt #Webinar

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “Many wage-garnishment cases end in default judgments because patients can’t afford lawyers or don’t even know they’re being sued,” @RaeEllenBichell adds. Some people even had Medicaid coverage, yet still saw their paychecks docked for bills they didn’t owe. #MedicalDebt

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “Many wage-garnishment cases end in default judgments because patients can’t afford lawyers or don’t even know they’re being sued,” @RaeEllenBichell adds. Some people even had Medicaid coverage, yet still saw their paychecks docked 👉

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “In most states, it’s still legal to garnish people’s wages for unpaid medical bills,” says @RaeEllenBichell. Her team analyzed 1,200 Colorado court cases to reveal how hospitals & collectors seize paychecks — a hidden but widespread form of #MedicalDebt collection.

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “Hospitals that began as charitable institutions are now suing thousands of patients for unpaid bills,” says @JessicaGlenza of @GuardianUS. Her investigation into Advocate Health found over 11,000 property liens filed, often hitting working-class families hardest. #MedicalDebt

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS @RaeEllenBichell shared an example from a group of cancer researchers who studied the financial strain of being in #MedicalDebt. “The financial strain of medical debt can actually slow patients’ recovery and even increase their chances of dying,” she says.

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “At least one-third of wage garnishments for consumer debt are for unpaid medical bills,” reports @RaeEllenBichell. Her investigation shows how hospitals & collectors can seize part of a patient’s paycheck, forcing families to choose between care, food, or electricity.

@JessicaGlenza @GuardianUS “The Big Beautiful Bill’ could leave 16 million more Americans uninsured by 2034,” warns @JessicaGlenza of @GuardianUS. Cuts to tax credits, new Medicaid work requirements, and added red tape would strip coverage from millions. #MedicalDebt #Webinar