Hidden Help: A New Push for Hospitals to Prevent Medical Debt

Hospitals can automatically wipe out the cost of care for low-income patients. A Tradeoffs analysis finds that hospitals in Texas could be doing more to protect people from unaffordable bills.

See the full series at tradeoffs.org/hiddenhelp.

Guests:

• Erin Fuse Brown, professor of health services, policy and practice, director of the health policy and law lab, Brown University
• Aimee Carlock, Grapevine, Texas, resident, patient
• Jill Horwitz, Trobman Innovation professor of law,
• professor of emergency medicine, Northwestern University
• Neale Mahoney, professor of economics, Trione Director of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford University
• Dr. Tom Oliverson, Texas Representative
• Anna Stelter, vice president of policy, Texas Hospital Association
• Rebecca Wahl, Houston resident, patient

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

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This episode was reported by Melanie Evans and Dan Gorenstein, edited by Ryan Levi, and mixed by Andrew Parrella. Haley Lerner contributed to this report.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Special thanks to Joe Amditis, Big Local News, Jason Buxbaum, Fred Cerise, Elizabeth Colvin, Hacks/Hackers, Keith Hearle, Arthur Hong, Jake Kara, Ray Kluender, Luke Messac, Brian Mittendorf, Paige Moody, Dilcia Mercedes, Charles Minshew, Matthew Notowidigdo, Eva Stahl and Derek Willis.

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