LANSING, Mich., July 15, 2025 — On Friday, July 11, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas scrapped a Biden-era rule that prohibited medical debt from appearing on an individual’s consumer credit report. Michigan is currently one of very few states with no consumer protections for medical debt — and as of this year, nearly 700,000 Michiganders are dealing with medical debt burden. After the ruling, state Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens), who introduced House Bill 4329 earlier this year to prevent credit reporting agencies from including medical debt on a consumer’s credit card report, issued the following statement:
“No one chooses to get in a car accident or suffer a sudden heart attack. Taking on medical debt to survive an emergency should never block someone’s path to opportunity. These unexpected medical costs don’t reflect a person’s financial responsibility or creditworthiness.
“The move by the Trump administration to allow medical debt to appear in an individual’s credit report is short-sighted, cruel and unnecessary. It removes critical protections for those with medical debt at a time when health care affordability is an issue that families across Michigan are struggling with. Some individuals are already over encumbered by mountains of medical debt — and this policy threatens their ability to afford basics such as car payments or mortgages.
“We should be focused on lowering health care costs, not increasing financial burdens. My legislation, HB 4329, is essential now more than ever to protect the nearly 700,000 Michiganders struggling with medical debt.”
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