(The Center Square) – As the state still struggles to find purchase with its own budget, some legislators are urging action to protect residents of the commonwealth from the expected fallout of the Congressional budget resolution bill that passed earlier this month.
One such measure is a bipartisan bill establishing requirements for hospital financial assistance which passed the House in May. It currently awaits consideration in the Senate.
“Given the crisis we are headed to in 2026, we must take action now to support all Pennsylvanians and reduce the tragedy of medical debt by enacting H.B. 79,” said prime sponsor Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Pittsburgh.
The bill would ensure patients have a better understanding of their financial situation and options when engaging with the healthcare system by requiring hospitals to provide standardized financial aid information. The information would need to be in plain language and presented at several steps throughout the intake and discharge processes, including public posting of the information.
“Last week, the Trump Administration succeeded in overturning protections against reporting medical debt on credit reports,” added Venkat. “This means efforts to decrease the adverse impact of medical debt on the personal and economic wellbeing of all Americans have ended at the federal level.”
With the prospects of hundreds of thousands losing insurance coverage following changes enacted by the resolution, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, the state’s medical providers are bracing for the worst. With projected premium increases of an average 82% and up to four times that in rural areas, many who lose coverage will be unable to purchase it at a new rate.
Ahead of the bill’s passage, Gov. Josh Shapiro joined Pennie and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department in writing to Congress urging them to vote against it.
“We hear every day from Pennsylvanians who are relieved to find coverage that protects their health and finances,” said Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley. “The bill wouldn’t just make coverage more expensive — it would make it harder to get. Pennsylvanians could face large increases in premiums and new red tape that would make it a burden to get the coverage they need.”
With insurance, medical debt remains a huge issue, impacting about 13% of people in the state to the tune of $1.8 billion. Without insurance, the threat of medical debt can lead to fatal gaps in care.
“As an emergency physician, I have seen what happens when people lose health insurance and fall into medical debt when they become ill. Patients fear seeking necessary health care and present later in illness and sicker than they should,” said Venkat. “I have unfortunately even seen patients die from fears of medical debt hanging over them. No one chooses to have medical debt – it happens unexpectedly when one becomes ill at the worst time imaginable.”
One issue caused by underinsurance that cannot be solved with financial assistance and medical debt relief is uncompensated care in hospitals. Doctors are obligated to treat patients who show up to the hospital, whether or not they have insurance.
Many hospitals already struggling to keep their doors open fear that the Congressional bill will be the nail in the coffin for the profit margins they need to continue operations. When those hospitals close down, access to care is reduced for the entire community, regardless of insurance coverage.
The state also anticipates a $5.5 million increase in operational costs due to the changes.
