New rules designed to prevent medical debt from hurting credit scores are not helping everyone, according to a report from Kaiser Health News and NPR.
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion said earlier this year that they would take certain types of medical debt off credit reports. Unpaid medical bills less than $500 will not show up on these credit reports, for example.
However, these policies are not reaching people with the highest amounts of medical debt, Kaiser Health News reported, most often Black Americans and people living in the South.
Penelope Wingard, 58, a North Carolina resident with medical debt from cancer treatment and other surgeries, described difficulties in getting medical care and loans because of her debt. Her credit score can show up as a red flag on employer background checks.
"It's like you're being punished for being sick, and it's not your fault," she told Kaiser Health News.
Listen to the full report here.