Media that empowers working people – that's how we build a More Perfect Union.

Don't Miss a Video!

Access our exclusive reporting and rapid response actions directly in your inbox, so you don’t miss a beat in the fight for working people nationwide.

Be a part of a community backing up independent journalism with action.

Ideas

Have a story to tell or idea to share?
Email [email protected]
© 2021 More Perfect Union Action

Together we can build power for working people.

We’re asking questions that really matter, and telling the stories of people who really need to be seen and heard.

You can support our work by donating today.

Amount

Make It Monthly

Don't Miss a Video!

Access our exclusive reporting and rapid response actions directly in your inbox, so you don’t miss a beat in the fight for working people nationwide.

Be a part of a community backing up independent journalism with action.

A Measure to Crack Down on Predatory Medical Debt Collection Is on the Verge of Making the Ballot in Arizona

The voter initiative would cap medical debt interest at 3 percent and increase protections on homes and other assets.

Medical Debt

Liz Gorski was a 15-year-old in Prescott, Arizona, when she was in a car accident that changed her life, and trapped her in a cycle of medical debt. After being in a coma for five days, Gorski woke up in the hospital to a new reality. She needed surgeries, physical therapy, and extensive medical care, a bill that ended up being over a million dollars, Gorski recalled. Insurance covered some of these initial expenses, and a lawsuit several years later covered more of the bill. But she still had medical debt sent to collections. 

Gorski’s health problems have required lifelong treatment, as she continues to deal with the aftermath of the crash, and the medical bills keep piling up. “Every single time I go, I have a copay and then I have some part of the bill billed to me, and every month I’m paying on all of these bills just to make sure that they don’t go to collections, but sometimes they do because it’s just too many at one time,” she told More Perfect Union. “And it’s like I’m trying to not see the doctor, I’m trying to just push it out, and it never works because then some kind of symptom happens and I can’t handle it.”

Gorski’s experiences navigating the health care system, and her struggle to keep up with endless medical bills that began in her youth, led her to join a statewide effort, known as Healthcare Rising Arizona, to bring the issue directly to voters. “The whole health care system is set up to keep people sick and basically enslaved,” she said. Now, a measure to crack down on medical debt and predatory debt collection practices is on the verge of making it onto the November ballot. 

Earlier this month, a coalition of advocates and organizations across the state, led by Healthcare Rising Arizona, made history, turning in over half a million signatures to get the proposal on the ballot — more than any citizen initiative has ever gotten in the state. The campaign easily surpassed the required 237,645 signatures to qualify. The ballot initiative, known as the Predatory Debt Collection Protection Act, would shield Arizonans and their families from debt collectors and abusive practices by limiting the interest rate on medical debt and protecting more of their assets from creditors. Passing this initiative in November, Gorski said, would mean greater “freedom” for working class people in the state. 

“You wouldn’t be bogged down by the power of these debt companies, you’d be able to pay off your bills, you’d be able to live your life,” Gorski said. “They don’t accept payment plans, mostly. They will harass you and everything until they get what they want.”

Jessica Baez-Staggers, a member of Healthcare Rising Arizona, became involved with the coalition and gathered signatures because she wanted to help a friend who didn’t know how to get out of $20,000 of medical debt. Passing the measure in November would mean that more working-class people would “feel secure” and that “they don’t have to lose everything because of one sickness,” she said. 

Under the proposal, interest on medical debt would be capped at 3 percent. The value of household goods that are shielded from debt collectors would increase, protecting cars up to $15,000 in value, compared to the $6,000 limit for vehicles under current state law, for example. Arizonans’ homes would also get additional protections. Notably, the proposal includes a provision that would exempt people from wage garnishment. Groups like Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Arizona Working Families Party, and CASE Action, as well as unions like Unite Here Local 11 and the Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council, are also supporting the effort. 

More than 100 million individuals in the US are burdened with medical debt, including an estimated 3 million who owe more than $10,000, a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found. About 15 percent of Arizonans had medical debt on their credit file as of December 2020, according to a Consumer Finance Protection Bureau study. The two biggest business groups in the state, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Greater Phoenix Chamber, have come out against the measure, saying it would harm creditors. But the coalition says the initiative is a common sense measure that has support across the political spectrum. 

“We do pretty well with everybody, you know, even Republicans who don’t necessarily agree with progressives on a ton of issues,” Healthcare Rising spokesperson Rodd McLeod told More Perfect Union. “They don’t like the idea of 10 percent interest. And they don’t like the idea of people having their home or car taken away because they can’t pay a medical bill.”

Related Stories

YouTube Thumbnail
These Doctors Make Less Than Minimum Wage. Here’s Why They’re Fighting Back.
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Cori Bush And Democrats Finalizing A Plan To Lower Insulin Costs
Read More

The Latest

UAW workers
TRACKER: Which Elected Officials Are Speaking Out For Autoworkers?
Read More
Americans Broadly Support the UAW Strike, Regardless of Party
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
This Is The Biggest Threat To Actors & Writers
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Is Public Ownership The Solution To High Utility Bills?
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
We Investigated Roblox: Your Kid’s Favorite Game Is Exploiting Them
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
The U.S. Is Finally Taking On Big Pharma
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
This flight attendant works 13 hour days. He’s only paid for 5.
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
You’re Paying for Kim Kardashian’s Private Jet Travel. Here’s How.
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
The Labor Standoff That Could Shut Down The Auto Industry
Read More
The Republicans’ Main Talking Point Against Drug Price Negotiations Comes From a Pharmaceutical Investor
Read More
Uber and Lyft Drivers Challenge the Goliath in Minnesota
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Could America Have A General Strike Like France?
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
How Ron DeSantis Let Billionaires Destroy Florida
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Workers Are About To Get Way More Power
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Behind The Billionaire-Led Plot To Undermine The Starbucks Union
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
We Found The Real Leader of the Conservative Movement
Read More
Federal Firefighters Facing $20,000 Pay Cut In the Middle of Fire Season
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
This New Rule Will Stop Car Dealers from Ripping You Off
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Inside Love is Blind’s Brutal Conditions on Set
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
We Went To A Trump Rally: What We Saw Will Shock You
Read More