Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act proposal

CINCINNATI —

Ohio's proposed Medical Debt Fairness Act would address the mounting issue of medical debt across the state.

More than a third of Ohioans struggle to pay their medical bills, according to Undue Medical Debt , a nonprofit that buys medical debt and erases it for financially vulnerable families. Advertisement

The bipartisan proposal under House Bill 257 would limit medical debt interest to 3% per year, ban wage garnishment for medical debt collections and prohibit hospitals, medical providers and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit agencies.

"We want to make sure that we give people a fighting chance," said Michele Grim, the Democratic representative from Toledo who introduced the bill. "We give people a leg up instead of keeping them down, and you kno