The First-Of-Its-Kind Campaign Will Organize The More Than 100 Million People Who Are Impacted By Medical Debt To Have Their Voices Heard In The Election

(Boston, MA) – With more than 100 million people impacted by the medical debt crisis in this country, Community Catalyst announced today that it is launching a first-of-its-kind “Get Out The Vote” (GOTV) campaign, called “I Am A Medical Debt Voter.” The effort aims to engage and mobilize the 4 in 10 adults with medical debt in the elections by emphasizing the importance of electing policymakers who will address the medical debt crisis with urgency. This action is a powerful way to address the top areas of concern for voters: the cost of living and economic well-being.

Learn more and hear from people directly impacted by medical debt here: commcat.io/med-debt-voter 

This is the first time a group has ever organized those impacted by medical debt to vote. The GOTV effort comes on the heels of recent polling that shows the political salience of the issue. Polling by HIT Strategies, commissioned by Community Catalyst, found that 75% of voters support removing all medical debt from credit reports and 66% of voters say they would feel more favorable towards a policymaker that supports these efforts. 

The six-figure campaign will kick-off with ads in key battleground states following the Presidential Debate on Tuesday night. It will center and uplift the stories of people impacted by the medical debt crisis, as well as medical debt resources and tools, through paid media, digital organizing, and in-person events in key states.  

“We have a medical debt crisis in this country and it’s more important than ever that those impacted by it have their voices heard at the ballot box and policymakers understand the urgent need to address this issue,” said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy at Community Catalyst. “Never before has anyone organized this set of voters, but we believe this is a unique moment and that our elected leaders need to hear from the more than 100 million people affected by this crisis. We know this issue moves voters and those impacted most could be key voters in this election. Our organizing will ensure those who are living through this crisis can have an impact on the election.” 

Medical debt doesn’t impact everyone equally. Low-income, Black, and Latinx communities bear the brunt of this crisis and will be at the center of Community Catalyst’s organizing.   

For more than 15 years, Community Catalyst has been leading an effort to get policymakers to address the medical debt crisis. It has advocated for both executive action and congressional action to address the root causes of the issue and worked with dozens of multi-issue partners around the country to advance policy at the state and local level.

For more on Community Catalyst’s work on medical debt: https://communitycatalyst.org/issues/affordability/medical-debt 

Medical bills are complicated and can be riddled with errors. Medical Bills: Everything You Need to Know About Your Rights helps individuals navigate medical bills and other common charges in health care settings.  

The Compendium of State Policies to Curb Hospital Prices and Reduce Medical Debt helps organizations and grassroots organizers mobilize around state-by-state efforts to address the medical debt crisis.