NEW REPORTING: Days Before Health Care Costs Are Set to Spike, Trump Administration Forces Medical Debt Back on Americans’ Credit Reports Arrow

On the 28th day of Donald Trump's government shutdown, new reporting reveals that the Trump administration plans to override federal and state protections preventing medical debt from appearing on credit reports. The new policy will make it even more difficult to access credit at a time when Americans are already struggling in Trump's economy.

The policy comes just days before the Open Enrollment period for the ACA marketplace begins and weeks before enhanced premium ACA tax credits expire, which will skyrocket premiums and leave millions of Americans struggling to pay their medical bills. If Republicans get their way, 22 million Americans will see their health care premiums skyrocket by an average of 114%.

In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:

"As if Donald Trump's rampage to raise health care costs for 22 million Americans wasn't enough, he's now unnecessarily forcing medical debt on Americans' credit reports just as health care costs are set to spike. Everyday Americans are already grappling with high costs on everything, including groceries, rent, and utilities, as well as a job market that's getting worse by the day. An accidental injury or a trip to the doctor should not force everyday Americans deeper into financial hardship. Trump is backing millions of Americans into a corner and forcing them to decide whether they should pay their medical bills or put food on the table."

More than 100 million Americans have medical or dental debt. This means that millions of working families are already facing financial hardship because of medical debt - and now Trump and Republicans are hellbent on raising medical costs even more by letting enhanced ACA tax credits expire and ruining Americans' credit reports.