Medical Debt Project
Through our Medical Debt Project, Tzedek DC provides direct legal services to clients with medical debt, including medical debt tradelines and credit card tradelines where the underlying bills stem from medical debt.
We help clients:
Review medical bills for accuracy
Provide advice on hospital financial assistance programs
Review clients’ credit reports and dispute inaccurate information
Represent clients in negotiations over medical debt in or out of court with hospitals and debt collectors
Medical Debt Report
We released a report on June 10, 2025, titled "More Than a Band-Aid: Systemic Changes to Protect DC Residents from Medical Debt." It shows how medical debt drives financial hardship, worsens health outcomes, and deepens racial and economic disparities in the District.
The report outlines specific policy solutions for DC, including limiting medical debt interest rates, banning medical debt from credit reports, requiring transparency from hospitals’ financial assistance programs, and strengthening enforcement tools and compliance incentives through the DC Office of the Attorney General. The report also recommends reforming harmful medical debt collection tactics such as wage garnishment and property liens against residents’ homes on the basis of medical debt.
Our Medical Debt Project in the News!
WTOP News - “DC nonprofit seeks to fill void of shuttered federal agency protecting consumers from medical debt” - February 15, 2025
TANTV - “Thousands of Low-income DC Residents to Become Medical-Debt-Free” - September 2, 2024
The Washington Post - “D.C. cancels $42 million in residents’ medical debt” - August 30, 2024
ABC 7 News - “'This is a big win': DC residents see $42 million in medical debt canceled” - August 30, 2024
WUSA9 News - “DC to cancel nearly $42 million in medical debt for low-income residents” - August 30, 2024
WTOP News - “How DC used less than a quarter-million dollars to clear $42M of debt for residents” - August 30, 2024
Fox 5 DC - “$42 million in medical debt erased for more than 62,000 DC residents” - August 30, 2024
The Washington Times - “Medical debt canceled for 62,000 D.C. residents” - August 30, 2024
American Military News - “City erases $42 million in medical debt for over 62,000 residents” - August 30, 2024
Hoodline - “Over $42 Million in Medical Debt Cleared for 62,000 Washington, D.C. Residents in Groundbreaking Relief Effort” - August 30, 2024
BitterSweet Monthly - “It's very, very expensive to be poor” - June 2024
The Washington Lawyer - “The Crushing Weight of Medical Debt” - November-December 2023
The New York Times - “Consumer Agency Moves to Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reports” - September 29, 2023
NPR/WAMU - “D.C. wants to cancel $90 million in medical debt. Here’s how it would work.” - May 30, 2023
Common Dreams - “Freedom From Medical Debt' Campaign to Launch With Virtual Town Hall” - May 8, 2023
The Washington Post - “Joining national trend, D.C. to cancel $90M in residents’ medical debt” - March 23, 2023
The Washington Post - “Health equity grants awarded to groups helping low-income D.C. residents” - October 20, 2022
Also check these out:
We released a report on June 10, 2025, and issued a press release announcing it
We defended the CFPB’s rule removing medical debt from credit reports on February 13, 2025
We testified in support of canceling medical debt on February 22, 2023, the advocacy for which was successful as of March 22, 2023, and subsequently erased on August 30, 2024 (as reported above)
Our Medical Debt Attorney Jennifer Holloway participated in a webinar at the American Bar Association on July 24, 2024
We co-convened a Medical Debt Panel on October 19, 2023, with Temple Sinai
Our Medical Debt Attorney Jennifer Holloway participated in a panel with then-CFPB Director Rohit Chopra on July 11, 2023
Our Medical Debt Project work has been funded by the Health Equity Fund (twice!), as well as through an Equal Justice Works fellowship!