HARRISBURG — For many Pennsylvanians, medical debt is a huge yet unavoidable problem. Even with insurance, many find themselves unable to pay the deductibles and copays demanded from rising healthcare costs.

According to Gov. Shapiro’s office, the commonwealth’s total balance of medical debt was over $1.8 billion in 2023, impacting 13% of the state with a disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities.

Yet, hospitals do have systems in place to assist patients with financial need, if they can access them.

This week, a bipartisan bill passed the House that would ensure patients have a better understanding of their financial situation and options when engaging with the healthcare system.

The bill would mandate that hospitals provide standardized financial aid information in plain language at several steps throughout the intake and discharge processes, including public posting of the information.

“Hospital-based financial aid can help patients avoid life-altering medical debt, yet many patients are unaware that these programs even exist or how to access them,” said the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Pittsburgh.

Venkat himself is an emergency medicine doctor and a frequent champion of healthcare reform in the House. He was joined by 51 co-sponsors, including three Republicans, on the legislation. The bill passed the house with a vote of 186-16.

The fiscally conservative Commonwealth Foundation put the 2021 average healthcare spending per person in Pennsylvania at $11,603, above the national average.

Co-sponsor Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-Frackville, said over a million people in the state are saddled with medical debt that has gone to collections, impacting their financial futures.

“By creating a more transparent, consistent and streamlined approach, we can help protect residents from the crushing effects of medical debt,” said Twardzik. “This is not only a benefit to patients, but to health systems and insurance providers as well.”

Representatives Bridget Kosierowski, D-Scranton, and Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, are themselves nurses who signed onto the bill after seeing the impact of medical debt on their patients.

Kosierowski said that during her 30 years in nursing, she “encountered many families who experienced devastating health care issues that too often led to medical bills beyond their means – sometimes exceeding a million dollars.”

She added, “Now, as a state legislator, I see these tragic issues hitting even more families, leaving them to declare bankruptcy or sell their homes to satisfy growing medical costs.”

The costs lead some to avoid treatment, which can have catastrophic health consequences and even ultimately lead to more expensive emergency treatment.

Rep. Nate Davidson, D-Lemoyne, has been using the House floor to sound the alarm on cancer statistics and research that may be compromised by funding cuts.

“In particular, cancer patients are over 70% more likely than other individuals to experience the devastating consequences of medical debt, have bills in collections and face tax liens or foreclosure,” said Davidson. “Those cancer patients with medical debt are three times as likely to not pursue treatment, even in the face of increased mortality.”

The point is one that has found agreement with healthcare organizations like the American Cancer Society.

“Over 90,000 Pennsylvanians will hear ‘you have cancer’ for the first time in 2025,” said Donna Greco, Pennsylvania’s government relations director with the society’s Cancer Action Network. “Making financial assistance programs more accessible throughout the commonwealth will help prevent medical debt from piling up in the first place for people with cancer and other health concerns.”