Sanders Unveils Plan to Cancel $81 Billion in U.S. Medical Debt

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Sept. 21 introduced a plan to cancel $81 billion in past-due medical bills and replace private credit-reporting companies with a public registry that will exclude debt tied to health costs.

The Vermont Democrat proposed revising a 2005 bankruptcy law to let people with high bills use the courts to seek relief, and eliminate the means-testing requirement to file for protection from creditors, according to a statement from his campaign.

“The very concept of medical debt should not exist,” Sanders said. “It is immoral and unconscionable that families across the country are finding themselves nearly ...