February 8, 2022

 

Getting sick or injured can often result in a heavy financial burden for many families, leaving them with mounting medical bills. Aggressive debt collection and coercive credit reporting can make matters worse by pressuring families to pay medical bills. On top of the initial medical crisis, this financial distress can make it even harder for a family to recover.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took a major step towards protecting veterans and their families by announcing that they will only report medical debt after all other collection efforts have been exhausted, largely eliminating coercive credit reporting as a debt collection technique. This sets a clear and important precedent for the health care industry.

Learn more about the VA’s announcement and your new protections against unexpected medical bills