INDIANAPOLIS — On World Cancer Day, the American Cancer Society in Indiana is advocating for legislation that could provide crucial financial relief to cancer patients and survivors struggling with overwhelming medical bills.
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Senate Bill 85, currently awaiting a committee hearing in the House, aims to reform how medical debt is collected from patients who cannot afford to pay. The legislation has garnered bipartisan support, though a handful of Republicans voted against it when it passed out of the Senate.
According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 47% of cancer patients and survivors carry medical debt, despite 98% of them having insurance coverage. This statistic underscores the financial burden that cancer treatment places on families, even those with health insurance.
"I'm still... I am over a decade out, and I am still over $75,000 in debt just from everything that has happened," said Heather Almager, a breast cancer survivor.
Almager was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29. While she is now cancer-free, she continues to face health complications stemming from her cancer treatment and mastectomy.
"After the surgery, I had sepsis from the expander that was put in. So I ended up in the ICU. I coded with a 106.8 temperature, which, in turn, now I have a heart condition. I have a leak in my aortic heart valve, which will eventually have to be replaced," Almager shared.
The proposed legislation would implement significant changes to medical debt collection practices. Under current law, wages can be garnished if someone makes at least $217 per week. Senate Bill 85 would raise that threshold to $600 per week for medical debt cases.
"Limits on wage garnishment in addition to removing the liens off of primary residence," said Allie Kast Gregg with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "So, making sure if they already have medical debt, they have comfortable ways to get out of it."
The bill would also prevent medical creditors from placing liens on patients' primary residences, providing additional protection for families facing financial hardship due to medical expenses.
"You're paying all these separate bills to the entities, and they just keep coming and coming," Almager said.
Supporters emphasize that medical debt differs fundamentally from other types of financial obligations because it's not a choice patients make.
"It's not like any other debt where you are buying a car or buying a house. Medical debt can happen to anyone," Gregg said.
The timing of this advocacy effort on World Cancer Day highlights the ongoing challenges faced by cancer patients and survivors, who must navigate not only their health battles but also the financial aftermath of their treatment.
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