THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
What is medical debt? Let’s look at what it’s not. It’s not excessive spending on a pricey vacation, or on designer clothing or expensive watches. Medical debt usually happens when an unexpected accident or illness lands you in the emergency room or the hospital. Focus on the word ‘unexpected.’ Then add the word ‘expensive.’
Today we’re talking about the hidden costs of getting sick in America, the patients whose lives have been upended by medical debt, and why the system is failing the people it’s supposed to serve.
Joining us is Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, working with both consumers and workers since 1899. This is the first of two episodes with Sally Greenberg.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
SHOW NOTES
WE DISCUSS
Can you share an example of how hospitals treat patients who owe them money?
Greenberg: There’s a woman … who learned that her bank account and paychecks were placed on a legal hold by a law firm that was representing Johns Hopkins [Hospital], over $5,000 in unpaid medical bills….
She works as a security guard for $15 an hour. She checked her account. She thought she had $152 in it. So you can imagine this is a person of very limited means.
And she found out that the law firm had taken all of her money from the account, and now she was facing, um, bankruptcy, which is not an uncommon situation for people of modest means who have medical debt. She was treated twice at the hospital. She had some depression episodes. She gave birth to a baby. She was never told about the access to charity care at the hospital.
Clearly, she is somebody at a $15 an hour job with $152 in the bank, should have been processed when she came into the hospital and given access to charity care, which by the way, these hospitals have huge amounts of support and funding for.
There’s a 340B [federal drug pricing] program where they get massive discounts on drugs and pharmaceuticals that they’re supposed to pass on to patients.
And what we’ve found is that many of them don’t pass that on to patients, and they don’t do any processing of patients to ensure that those who are supposed to get access to charity care are getting it.
Helpful Links
National Consumers League
The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Healthcare Accessibility Nationwide, National Consumers League
Johns Hopkins Hospital sues patients, many low income, for medical debt, Washington Post
Medical Debt Statistics in US 2026 | Key Facts & Data, The World Data Insight Hub
Thousands of Poor Patients Face Lawsuits From Nonprofit Hospitals That Trap Them in Debt, Propublica
Medical Debt Ecosystem: The Mechanized Wealth Extraction From America’s Patients, Stanford Medicine
Guest Biography: Susan Greenberg
Sally Greenberg is a champion of consumer and worker rights and joined the National Consumers League (NCL) as Executive Director on October 1, 2007. An expert on a broad spectrum of issues, Sally has testified before Congress and federal agencies on privacy matters, food labeling, geopolitical tracking, teen financial literacy and NCL’s teen LifeSmarts program, child labor, fraud, product safety, data privacy, auto safety, and prescription drug access, safety and affordability. In 2022, Sally assumed the role of CEO, continuing to advance NCL’s mission of advocating for fairness and transparency in the marketplace.
Sally brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, serving on prominent boards and advisory councils. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Fair Labor Association and the Alliance for a Stronger FDA. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Council of Tzedek DC and participates in the ANSI Consumer Information Forum. Committed to her community, Sally volunteers as Co-President of Temple Sinai Women of Reform Judaism.
Sally’s thought leadership extends to writing, with publications including a chapter, “Who’s Minding Our Business,” in the National Museum of American History’s 2015 volume, American Enterprise, as well as numerous law review articles and an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Host Biography: Brenda Gazzar
Brenda Gazzar, the host and co-producer of Code WACK!, has produced over 300 weekly podcast episodes, with downloads topping 400,000. A skilled interviewer and storyteller, Brenda brings nuance, curiosity, and clarity to every conversation.
Brenda has worked as a multilingual and award-winning reporter with more than two decades of experience in California and the Middle East.
Her work has been published by Reuters, Ms. Magazine, USA Today, Los Angeles Daily News, the Orange County Register, The Wrap, The Jerusalem Post, Cairo Times, and numerous other publications. She speaks Spanish, Hebrew, and a moderate level of Arabic and is the recipient of national, state, and regional awards.
Brenda also enjoys being a life coach, helping people align with their purpose so they feel fulfilled while achieving their boldest dreams.
Brenda’s work is grounded in a belief that systemic change and personal growth go hand in hand, and she’s here for both.
Get Involved / Take Action
Love Code WACK!? Keep us on the air with a tax-deductible donation!
Subscribe to catch all Code WACK! episodes
Subscribe to HEAL California for our Weekly News Roundup with a California twist
Join Healthy California Now – a coalition working toward a California single-payer system. Individual and organizational memberships available.
Contact Us
[email protected]
Website: HEAL California
Keywords:
Susan Greenberg, National Consumers League, Medical Debt, Coverage Denied, health insurance, insurance denials, insurance appeals, patient rights, healthcare justice, health equity, medical debt, medical bills, administrative burden, health policy, University of Pittsburgh, Code WACK!, HEAL California, Medicare for All, healthcare access, health insurance appeals, patient advocacy, healthcare reform
You can also find us on ProgressiveVoices.com and NurseTalk Media.
This podcast is powered by HEAL California,
uplifting the voices of those fighting for healthcare justice.
____________________________________________________________________________
HEAL California is an independent news and information hub focused on the Medicare for All movement. We highlight the ongoing injustices of our broken healthcare system and amplify the voices of those most impacted by it through nonpartisan news, views, podcasts, and videos.
Our Podcasts shine a light on the failures of America’s healthcare system and explain how Medicare for All could help.
Our Media page provides links to experts and additional resources, including legislation and studies.
Keep up with the Medicare for All movement!
Follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.
Subscribe for email updates, action alerts, and more!