Senate HELP Committee Hearing on What Congress Can Do to End Medical Debt

The Urban Institute submitted this statement for the record for a hearing convened by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on "What Can Congress Do to End Medical Debt in America?" Our statement includes the following key points:

1. Medical debt affects millions of Americans and can undermine their health and financial well-being.
2. Policies to expand health insurance and reduce cost-sharing for households with low and moderate incomes are likely to have the greatest impact in reducing medical debt.
3. Efforts to promote competition and reduce health care prices can complement these policies in their efforts to reduce medical debt.
4. Some strategies discussed during the hearing are promising but backed by limited evidence; further research on their effectiveness is needed.

We describe the research evidence supporting these statements and highlight policy recommendations that would make a meaningful impact in alleviating medical debt burdens.