Every year, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders are forced to choose between paying medical bills and keeping the lights on. For nearly 700,000 residents already burdened by medical debt, a single emergency room visit can set off a chain reaction of financial instability—from ruined credit to the threat of foreclosure. 

Michigan lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have introduced Senate Bills 449-451 and House Bills 5254-5255 to bring fairness and transparency to hospital billing and shield families from the devastating impact of medical debt on their credit reports. These bills would require hospitals to offer clear financial assistance programs based on income, protect low-income patients from aggressive debt collection practices, and ban medical debt from being included on consumer credit reports.

This legislation puts people first—by helping uninsured and underinsured patients access the care they need without fear of financial ruin, and by giving all of us a better shot at maintaining our economic security.

Opponents may argue that credit reports must include all debt to assess risk. But medical debt is fundamentally different: it often results from emergencies, billing errors, or services patients never truly consented to under duress. Medical bills should not have the power to destroy someone’s credit—or their life.

These commonsense reforms follow the lead of more than a dozen other states working to fix a broken system. While the federal government has tried to challenge states’ authority to protect consumers, we can’t wait for Washington to act. Michigan families need relief now.

We urge the Michigan Legislature to pass the full package of medical debt relief bills—and for Governor Gretchen Whitmer to sign them into law. Join us in calling on our elected officials to protect working families, end predatory billing, and keep medical debt off our credit reports.

Sign this petition to stand with Michigan families—and demand medical debt fairness now.