Listen: New Federal Guidelines Could Weaken Consumer Protections Against Medical Debt

By Noam N. Levey

November 14, 2025

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<br /> <span class="byline">Noam N. Levey</span></p> <p>LISTEN: Bad credit can keep you from getting a job, a car loan, or an apartment to rent. For many Americans, health care debt is to blame. KFF Health News senior correspondent Noam N. Levey appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on Nov. 12 to explain why new federal guidelines on health care debt and credit reports worry some consumer protection advocates.</p> <p>More than 100 million Americans are estimated to have health care debt. In response, more than a dozen states have instituted laws to keep these unpaid bills off consumer credit reports.</p> <p>The Trump administration has been chipping away at these protections.</p> <p>The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, headed by President Donald Trump’s budget director, issued new guidance that challenges state laws, saying only the federal government can decide what can go in a credit report. Consumer advocates say that move could undercut state-level protections and worsen the financial strain on Americans burdened by medical bills.</p> <p>KFF Health News senior correspondent Noam N. Levey appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on Nov. 12 to explain why state laws like these could be especially important in the wake of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, set to kick millions off Medicaid, and the potential lapsing of enhanced tax credits for people buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.</p> <p>
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