Lost jobs, lost wages, and mounting medical bills. The pandemic spotlighted overlapping financial and health dilemmas. Senator Chris Van Hollen describes his proposal to prevent healthcare providers from taking drastic steps to collect debt during the pandemic. Then, local United Church of Christ congregations recently wiped out $9 million in outstanding debt, buying bills from collection agencies at a fraction of face value. We speak with Rev. Tim Tutt,senior minister of Westmoreland Congregational in Bethesda, and Rev. Freeman Palmer, conference minister for the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ. Learn more about RIP Medical Debt here.

Lost jobs, lost wages, and mounting medical bills. The pandemic spotlighted overlapping financial and health dilemmas. Senator Chris Van Hollen describes his <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-reintroduces-legislation-to-prevent-seizure-of-patients-bank-accounts-wages-during-covid-19-pandemic">proposal </a>to prevent healthcare providers from taking drastic steps to collect debt during the pandemic. Then, local United Church of Christ congregations recently wiped out <a href="https://www.ucc.org/ucc-d-c-area-churches-wipe-out-9-million-in-medical-debt-in-four-states/">$9 million in outstanding debt</a>, buying bills from collection agencies at a fraction of face value. We speak with Rev. Tim Tutt, senior minister of <a href="https://www.westmorelanducc.org/">Westmoreland Congregational</a> in Bethesda, and Rev. Freeman Palmer, conference minister for the <a href="http://www.cacucc.org/">Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ</a>. Learn more about RIP Medical Debt <a href="https://ripmedicaldebt.org/">here</a>.

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org" target="_blank">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

On The Record

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

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