Maine Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill prohibiting medical debt collectors from placing a lien on a person’s home or garnishing their wages.
The new law builds on previous legislation signed by the governor that prohibited medical debt from appearing on consumer credit reports, according to an April 6 news release from Ms. Mills’ office.
Nearly half of all Maine households incurred medical debt in the last two years, and one in three reported that medical debt hurt their ability to afford basic necessities such as food or heat, according to Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care.
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