April 02, 2024 - Yeagertown, PA
Governor Josh Shapiro joined Representative Arvind Venkat and Primary Health Network CEO Dr. George Garrow at the Lewistown Community Health Center in Mifflin County to highlight his 2024-25 proposed budget's $4 million investment to erase nearly $400 million in medical debt relief for Pennsylvanians - and his proposal to implement more transparent healthcare practices to prevent medical debt from being incurred in the first place. During his 2024-25 budget address, Governor Shapiro called for investments to support Pennsylvanians who are being crushed by medical debt - especially those in rural communities. Medical debt impacts Pennsylvanians' access to quality healthcare and affects their credit - and with only $4 million, the Commonwealth can erase nearly $400 million in medical debt for low-income Pennsylvanians by partnering with nonprofits that buy that debt from health care providers for pennies on the dollar. Rural counties in Pennsylvania are hit especially hard by medical debt - Warren, Greene, Bradford, Franklin and McKean counties have the highest percentages of residents who carry medical debt, with nearly 20% of Warren County residents carrying some kind of medical debt. "As I've traveled across the Commonwealth, I've heard firsthand from Pennsylvanians who are struggling with high costs - including those being crushed by medical debt. Erasing medical debt is a practical, commonsense way that we can deliver real relief for folks all across Pennsylvania," said Governor Josh Shapiro. "My budget helps those who are being crushed by medical debt with a $4 million investment that we can use to erase nearly a quarter of all medical debt relief for Pennsylvanians. If we come together and make this commonsense investment, we can get this done and deliver for families all across our Commonwealth."
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