New York Legislation Passed to Protect Patients with Medical Debt

Rockland Daily Staff

Legislation was passed last week to protect patients facing steep medical bills that can lead to wage garnishment or liens against their property.

The new legislation prohibits healthcare providers from placing home liens on an individual's primary residence or garnishing wages to collect on medical debt.

While this problem is most pervasive in Upstate New York, nearly half of American adults struggle to afford healthcare costs, and more than 50,000 New Yorkers have been sued for medical debt over the past five years. Before the legislation, hospitals or health care providers had been able to impose and enforce liens on a patient's primary residence to satisfy a judgment in a medical debt lawsuit, leading to housing instability and devastating financial consequences for vulnerable New Yorkers.