A few years ago, a man had to go to the hospital. His legs were discolored and swollen, and the hospital staff immediately admitted him. The diagnosis was a blood clot, but the blood thinners didn’t work right away. He had to remain in the hospital, under observation, until the blood thinners broke up the life-threatening clot – saving the man’s life.

When he needed this life-saving medical care, he had no health insurance. At the hospital, he signed up for Free Care – but they didn’t tell him that it wouldn’t cover the bill for his entire hospital stay and treatment. As a result, the hospital billed him $10,000 for his stay.

Because he moved around a few times, the man didn’t receive the bill until some time later. He was carrying around large medical debt – without even knowing it. So, the hospital reported the man’s medical debt to a consumer credit bureau, and the bureau included it on his credit report. By the time he learned about it, he was ready to buy a home and start a family.

But he was denied his dream. The bank told him that he couldn’t get a loan until he paid the debt in full. With his credit ruined by medical debt incurred for seeking life-saving care, it took three years to make his dream come true.

A constituent from Old Orchard Beach bravely shared this personal story at the public hearing for my bill, LD 558, which seeks to prohibit consumer credit bureaus from reporting medical debt on consumer credit reports. As a state senator and the Senate Chair of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, I often hear stories – like this one – from Mainers who are struggling with medical debt.

Sadly, medical debt is prevalent in Maine and across the country. In recent years, 40% of Mainers and about 41% of Americans have carried medical debt. In addition, one out of four Maine families with medical debt owe $5,000 or more. More than half of Mainers with medical debt report their credit score has been negatively affected by medical debt.

As this story and the data illustrate, medical debt is special: It’s not the voluntary debt that folks take on when purchasing something. It’s the involuntary debt that they take on because – through no fault of their own – they need medical care. Whether it’s life-altering or life-saving medical attention, the consumer (or patient) isn’t to blame for the high costs of health care.

That’s why, when a patient takes on medical debt after having a heart attack or suffering a stroke, the medical debt incurred is not a fair indicator of their ability to carry credit or pay off a loan. In other words, a medical emergency should not become a financial emergency that prevents someone from applying for a job, buying a home, leasing a car or taking out student loans.

My bill, LD 558, would help to shield Mainers from having their medical debt appear on their consumer reports. As health care costs continue to rise faster than inflation and more Mainers struggle to meet their basic needs, we need to do what we can to protect Mainers who struggle to afford the health care they need and address medical debt.

If you have a personal story involving medical debt and consumer credit reports, please feel free to reach out. The bill will have work sessions and eventually votes in the House and Senate. Your stories can help persuade my colleagues to support it.

Donna Bailey represents State Senate District 31, Buxton, Old Orchard Beach and Saco in the Maine Senate. She can be reached at Donna.Bailey@legislature.maine.gov or 207-287-1515.