Should the government forgive all medical debt for Americans?

There should be an out of pocket cap. But not for elective procedures; gender transition, plastic surgery etc.

The medical industry and medical insurance companies have definitely taken advantage of American but forgive ALL debts seems a bit absurd.

No, they shouldn't forgive ALL medical debt as this would put the country in even more debt, but they should work toward decreasing the amount of medical debt Americans have gradually.

I believe that individuals should be able to declare bankruptcy and/or they can be given.a monthly plan with no interest to help them pay off their debt

No, only that which was accrued through necessary operations, not elective ones such as cosmetic surgery and gender reassignment

"Yes, the government should forgive all medical debt for Americans": Medical debt places an immense burden on millions of Americans, affecting their financial stability, mental health, and quality of life. Forgiving medical debt would provide immediate relief to countless families struggling to pay for essential healthcare, freeing up their income for other necessities and stimulating the economy. Medical debt forgiveness would also address the inequities in the healthcare system, where people often incur significant debt through no fault of their own due to unexpected illnesses or emergency medical needs.

To some degree, not all people are remotely capable of paying off their debts. A family should not be put into generational debt due to a single person having a serious illness.

No this is too expensive, and we would end up paying for it through taxes anyway. Despite its good intentions, the amount of medical debt that people have would put the U.S. in another depression or recession.

Victims of catastrophic diseases not caused by lifestyle choices should have their debt relieved until such time as there is an insurance solution to the massive problem of medical debt from catastrophic disease.

No, but there should be a provision that debt over a certain percentage of that persons income will be forgiven. Same for student loans.

I lean toward compassionate, strategic debt relief, focused on those who need it most, but believe deeper fixes to healthcare are the real goal. Thinking about how funding works, wanting fairness without just shifting costs unfairly to taxpayers.

I think debt should be forgiven in instances when an individual for example had an ambulance called while unconscious or was treated without knowledge they were being billed.

Yes but do it based on tax brackets. Or do payments annually and still have a slight interest so that people cannot rely solely on government forgiveness and that way it can be fair.

No but make big insurance companies cough up more money towards treatment for people and stop allowing them to make billions off the average man

Yes, but only for Americans who have been attempting to pay for their medical debt or underwent serious illnesses and/or injuries

Not all debts, such as no debt forgiveness on elective surgeries, but forgiving some medical debt from Americans would be great as long as we put in systems that would lower healthcare costs alongside it.

i think it depends on the individual circumstance and income brackets and their role as a citizen as a whole.

Yes for necessary operations and procedures as determined by the patient’s doctors and relevant medical experts. Elective procedures like cosmetic should not qualify.

The government should make hospitals for profit illegal and easily sueable so citizens don't get ripped off for basic treatment.

ALL medical debt is way to broad of a statement. If someone goes out and buys a BMW or Porsche while having medical debt then cries "help me"...no forgiveness. If they're using public transportation or driving an old beater, then their medical debt should be forgiven.

Yes and No. Only to those in which medical bills affect thier longterm livelihood and caused financial distress to the family as a whole.

There needs to be more availability for policy waivers that dismiss debt in the case of insurance policy changes or inadequate access that prevents the burden from affecting patients.

No, this will increase inflation and possibly contribute to the problem of identity politics in healthcare.

If the medical debt was brought onto themselves like if someone had to get their body parts amputated because of a severe drunk driving incident where they drove off into a ditch or something of the sort and now they have medical bills stacked to the ceiling because of the multiple surgeries, medicine , therapies etc. , then no, they should not be forgiven of their medical debts . Illnesses and horrible injuries that were caused by something other than that person’s own choices are something completely different and only then do I believe a family should be relived of all medical expenses related to , let’s say for example , chemotherapy treatment for their sick child . If you brought it onto yourself then you should be able to get yourself out of it .

No, only that which was accrued through necessary operations but not elective ones such as cosmetic surgery and gender transition

We should strengthen the DOJ and HHS to investigate and hold accountable medical providers and insurance companies in cases where the patient has been wrongly charged or overcharged

I want to say yes. Medical debt is not a choice. However, we can’t just recklessly spend on it. We should only do this for the period where private hospitals are necessary

Yes for middle and lower class people at least, though the focus should be on establishing a better and actually affordable healthcare system for all

Instead, institute a single payer system, and impeach Trump for gutting Medicaid and Medicare to fund huge tax cuts for billionaires.

yes I believe that necessities shouldn't be held behind a pay wall and everyone should be able to access the things they need

Sometimes. For lower income citizens without proper healthcare, yes. But for those who can afford private medical treatment of a high quality, no.

I think a review should be done of debt and how it was accrued, the charger of the debt should need to justify the costs and the reasons for them and why the individual should be responsible for paying for them

Only treatment for inborn medical conditions and diseases should be forgiven, but any voluntary cosmetic procedures that are not for actual health conditions should be paid out of pocket.

Yes but make it a problem for the corporations that created the debt in the first place. It shouldn't be possible to go into debt to not die. The health, pharmaceutical and insurance companies are responsible.

Only to those struggling financially, instead using a loan-type of system to relieve people in debt.

Forgive some. to help those with extreme amounts, but not all medical debt so the government doesn't go too much further into debt

No, we should instead focus on regulating drug costs and lowering future costs and cutting taxes on lower incomes will help them pay off their medical debt

only those brought on by dire/emergency situations, or in families who really fall below the curve and will never be able to pay it off

No, only forgive debt for some live-saving operations, and don't forgive debt for any elective operations.

Yes, but only if legislation is passed that decreases the price of medical care, and only for the preexisting debt before it is passed.

If the debt is extremely large for the income that the person makes, then yes, but if it can be paid then no.

Not forgive all debt but make it dramatically less damaging to the American homes, by only taking little out of their pockets

under certain circumstances, people are completely unable to pay back their debt and in those cases it should be able to be forgiven

Yes, however if a surgery is for non-medical reasons such as a face lift just because then no that should be on the person

No, however I don't believe that medical debt should be reflected on consumer credit reports and I think there should be a separate licensure requirement for debt collectors who handle medical debt

No, but federally regulated repayment and forgiveness programs should be created and stricter oversight of medical billing practices should be implemented. Additionally, I don't think that medical collections should be allowed to be reported to credit bureaus and there should be a separate licensure required for debt collectors handling medical debt

People who are already receiving financial care shouldn't have to because medical care is hard to pay for.

It should only be in special cases. Like if a family is extremely poor and can’t afford to pay it and were only in the hospital because it was their only choice.

Not ALL per se, but more than it is at the moment. Nobody should be crippled economically because they are crippled physically.

Yes, but only the portion of the debt that is unreasonably inflated over the cost of insurance for covered Americans.

No, the government doesn't manage the debt and the size of the debt is overinflated. Hospitals can be compensated for their actual costs and the debt is eliminated.

Yes, but only for those who are making a way to try to pay them. Not purposely going just because they know it gonna be forgivin

The government should not forgive all medical debt, as it would cost too much, but they could forgive debt above a certain threshold based on income.

It should forgive certain people's debts but not all. If they can't pay or are being overcharged, then yes.

Yes, if the government can manage to do so without increasing the national debt or significantly impacting the economy

Yes, if the debt has been carried for over 10 years, however the government needs to regulate price gouging by medical providers and insurance companies.

yes, but not for nonemergency or unimportant cosmetic procedures (example: plastic surgery, sex change surgery)

Not all, but a decent amount, especially for people who can not afford to pay their debt and do not have proper access to resources to where they can pay it off.

Yes. For hardship cases and inability to pay for health not related to illegal or substance abuse. Bankruptcy protection.

No, because it will incentivize health insurance companies to continue charging the same or more so they can be paid off by the government again.

The government shouldn’t cancel any debt. However, it should help people pay them off and grant all citizens universal healthcare, with the option to choose private healthcare.

I feel like for certain stuff, like stuff you can't control such as cancer, flu, step, appendcitis, and ect; But for like medical bills for drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning shouldn't be paid off because it is something that the person had a choice in doing, and it's something that could've been prevented.

Yes, and implement a single-payer health care system to help alleviate future chances of extreme medical debt.

No, not all- but cases should be evaluated individually & depending on certain circumstances some medical debt should be forgiven

I feel we shouldn't apply so much interest with payment plans and we should make medical care more affordable.

there should be a certain low amount that should be forgiven depending on the person's current pay and situation.

I don't like how much people have to pay, but we shouldn't be responsible as the people to pay for all of people's debt. We don't have enough money to pay for everyone medical debt.

To only people who would be spending their whole lives paying off for medical surgery's that they needed.

No but a reasonable plan of payment or cost deduction should be addressed with all debts as we should not punish the sick in our society that doesn't promote healthy food and exercise alternatives

I believe medical debt should be forgiven for the most vulnerable Americans, but only alongside major healthcare reform to prevent the cycle from repeating. Full forgiveness without fixing the root cause is irresponsible.

I believe that the government shouldn't forgive all medical debt for Americans, but I think that the government should at least help low-income families with their medical bills

I believe that the government should pay for medical care by using taxes rather than American citizens do it, but before that happens Americans should pay their medical debt

It depends on how rich they are, whether they can afford to pay or not. Also based off on their financial "interests" as that determines how careful they are about their spending and how worthy they are regarding relieving medical debt.

In an ideal world, yes, but would the debt be completely dissolved or just move onto someone or something else?

Yes, no one should have to incur debt in order to receive care, especially for those with low incomes and chronic illnesses

Only for the people not able to pay it off in short time and it should not completely forgive it only most of it.

Yes, the government should forgive medical debt but it must also reform the system so people don’t fall into debt again. Health should never bankrupt someone, and this act of forgiveness could be paired with price regulation, stronger insurance protections, and medical billing reform.

This is a broad question. I think this should be on a case to case basis, not just for every person.

For seniors, someone who has given birth. children, people who physically can't work, if the bill exceeds more than you make in 6 months of work.

Yes but only forgive a large portion and don't forgive debt of cosmetic procedures that are not necessary to ones health and safety.

Yes, to a point. You shouldn't have to choose between your life and money. If you able to pay a portion of it though, you should.

Only for those who have no other form of coverage, or whose insurance is unable ( or unwilling ) to cover the individual.

Medical debt should be forgiven at the expense of the organization who created the debt, not the government.

No, but require healthcare providers to list their prices clearly, and provide patients with an itemized bill immediately.

Only for those who truly can't afford the debt. If they are working and surviving off of the little amount they are earning, they should have an excused debt.

No, not blanket forgiveness — but we need systemic reform so that Americans are not buried in medical debt in the first place. Target relief for the most crushing cases, and fix the system to prevent future debt.

If there is a way to forgive medical debt without furthering the debt of our government, I'm all for it