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Medical debt is crushing hospital patients in LA. Health officials may have a fix

Oct 8, 2026 · Noam Levey

Originally published by NPR News Read the original

Medical debt is crushing hospital patients in LA. Health officials may have a fix
Naman Shah examines a patient at Monrovia Health Center, a Los Angeles County public health clinic in Monrovia, California. Shah says reducing medical debt in the community will depend on effective prevention strategies, just as stopping the spread of infectious disease does.
Naman Shah examines a patient at Monrovia Health Center, a Los Angeles County public health clinic in Monrovia, California. Shah says reducing medical debt in the community will depend on effective prevention strategies, just as stopping the spread of infectious disease does.

In Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can't pay.

(Image credit: Lauren Justice)

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