PULLMAN, Wash. — A new law in Washington state is bringing financial relief to thousands of residents by removing medical debt from credit reports, a change that could significantly improve their financial futures.
According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 30 percent of Washingtonians report living in households with medical debt.
Jeremy Griffin, who survived blood cancer twice, knows firsthand the financial burden that comes with serious illness.
“I have honestly a well-paying job, and great insurance and it’s still very challenging,” Griffin said.
Despite having good insurance coverage, Griffin accumulated $35,000 in medical debt over seven years of cancer treatment. The total cost of his medical care reached approximately one million dollars, with a single treatment costing half a million by itself.
“I’ve always paid all my debts and that’s a hard thing for me to have to do but these things get astronomical fast. It gets really hard,” Griffin explained.
Even after completing his primary cancer treatment, Griffin continues to face ongoing medical expenses.
“Then my own PTSD and different challenges where I’ve gone back and had some follow up medication and therapy and different things as well. I have scans every three months,” he said.
The impact of medical debt extends far beyond the immediate financial strain. Credit reports and credit scores significantly affect a person’s ability to meet basic needs such as renting an apartment, buying a car, or even securing employment.
According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, removing medical debt from credit reports can raise a person’s credit score by approximately 20 points. This improvement can make a substantial difference in an individual’s financial opportunities and quality of life.
Griffin emphasized that the issue of medical debt affects people with various health conditions, not just cancer patients.
“There’s not one person I’ve met where they don’t have some kind of outside impact from these medical debts. It’s not just cancer, you know, there’s so many things at such high prices,” Griffin said.
Health policy experts note that medical debt differs fundamentally from other types of consumer debt because it typically results from necessary and often emergency situations, rather than discretionary spending. This recognition has driven the push for special treatment of medical debt in credit reporting.
Many credit reporting companies have already implemented voluntary exclusions for medical debt due to its harmful impact on consumers. The new Washington law formalizes and expands these protections, ensuring that all residents with medical debt receive the same consideration.
For Griffin and many others working toward financial freedom, this legislative change represents a significant step forward.
“It’s not just for cancer patients, it’s any medical debt. It’s a huge movement and step in the right direction and I just feel blessed to be part of it,” Griffin said.
The law comes at a critical time when healthcare costs continue to rise nationwide, and many families find themselves choosing between medical care and other essential expenses. By preventing medical debt from affecting credit scores, Washington state is addressing one of the most challenging aspects of healthcare finance for its residents.
As this law takes effect, thousands of Washingtonians may see improvements in their credit scores, opening doors to housing, transportation, and employment opportunities that were previously hindered by medical debt.
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