Sanders wants to eliminate $81B of medical debt

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is working on a plan to wipe out $81 billion of medical debt for Americans who are unable to pay it off, The Washington Post reports.

Mr. Sanders hinted at the forthcoming proposal Aug. 30 during a town hall in Florence, S.C., according to the report. His plan would pay off medical debt for those who cannot pay, and it would also ensure medical debt doesn't affect credit scores. The proposal is expected next month with details on its cost and a funding source, according to the report. 

The campaign chose $81 billion based on a 2018 Health Affairs study, according to the report. The Sanders campaign and The Post have been at odds recently over the figures the candidate uses to discuss medical debt, Business Insider reports. At issue most recently is a claim that 500,000 people go bankrupt annually due to medical debt.

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