All-of-Government Action Will Follow Banking and Housing Hearing Brown Convened Last Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced it will take action to address consumer medical debt. In a hearing and a letter to the CFPB last month, Sen. Brown called on the Administration to take greater action to ease the growing burden of medical debt on consumers.
 
“No one should have their financial future ruined because they get sick. These are important steps to protect Americans from abusive debt collectors, help more than half a million veterans have their medical debt forgiven, and open up opportunities for more people to buy homes and start businesses,” said Brown. “We will keep working to hold private companies accountable, and to bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, so fewer Americans face this debt in the first place.” 
 
Last month, Brown joined Robyn King, of Cleveland, to discuss her story of dealing with the burden of wrongful medical debt, and Brown’s efforts to protect Ohioans like her from these abusive practices. On the call, Brown called on the CFPB to create a medical debt consumer advocate position for medical debt who would help consumers resolve complaints, and make sure companies are complying with federal laws, like Brown’s No Surprises Act, which protects Americans from surprise medical bills and recently went into effect.
 

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