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The bill would prohibit medical debt from appearing on credit reports, ban wage garnishment and cap interest at 3%, down from the current 8%.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mattie Randolph is among a growing number of Americans facing medical debt — and for her, that struggle began with a routine hospital visit in 2018.
Randolph says she wasn’t billed for her care at Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine until years later.
“They’re suing me for $4,011,” she said, noting she only received her first bill two months ago.
The hospital declined to comment on individual cases, but responded through a statement and video saying, “Legal action is a last resort, only after exhausting every available alternative for payment.”
“This organization does require that we seek collection of patient balances but the use of the legal process is extremely rare. In fact, only 1.5% of all open patient balances over the past 5 years have gone to the legal process,” says Chad Ross, CEO of Mary Rutan Hospital.
From 2021 through October 2025, Mary Rutan Hospital reports providing $3.4 million in charity care for patients unable to pay, but as bills go unpaid, the threat of wage garnishment looms.
“Of course, it’s stressful if they’re going to garnish like 25% of my wages. In this economy, nobody can live off of that,” Randolph said.
Mary Rutan said it ended reporting medical debt to credit agencies last year, but confirmed it pursues collections in court when needed.
Over the past five years, the hospital has filed lawsuits against more than 3,000 patients, about 1.5% of all accounts with a balance. Hospital officials cite “a backlog of accounts from COVID-19, changes in Ohio’s statute of limitations for debt collection from 8 years to 6 years, and liability laws requiring legal action against the patient first, then the spouses sometimes resulting in multiple filings.”
10TV requested data from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Health System, and OhioHealth to see how much money they’ve spent on charity care when their patients can’t afford a hospital bill.
Over the last three years, Ohio State says 69,000 patients were approved for some level of financial assistance. During the last 10 years, the hospital reports it has provided $2.46 billion in unreimbursed care, or about 8.4% of its total costs.
“If there is no resolution after several billing notices and attempts to work with the patient on a payment plan, then after 120 days the medical center is required by state law to use the Ohio Attorney General for any collection activity,” said a hospital spokesperson.
OhioHealth says over the past 10 years, it has provided $2.9 billion in unreimbursed care, or about 9.25% of its total costs.
“We do not garnish wages. There are rare instances when we pursue legal recourse, but this occurs in less than one-half of one percent of all bills. Patients who do not satisfy their payment responsibilities and who do not establish a payment plan are referred to a collection agency after 120 days,” says a hospital spokesperson.
Mt. Carmel Health System tells 10TV it has provided $1.6 billion in unreimbursed care over the past decade.
The hospital says that this represents 11% of its total costs. For patients who can’t pay their bill, the hospital says, “Financial assistance is available for eligible patients, The program may provide discounted care for individuals and families who are between 201 and 400 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Families’ income below 200% of the federal guidelines may qualify to receive their hospital care at no charge. No matter how generous, financial assistance will never be a substitute for a health insurance plan that covers preventative and necessary care at an affordable price on the front and back end of coverage.”
Randolph’s story is far from unique. Legal filings for payment are up, and, like other rural hospitals, Mary Rutan faces mounting challenges as more patients arrive without insurance coverage or enough insurance to pay the bills.
To address the mounting crisis, two Ohio lawmakers — Michele Grim, D-Toledo, and Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, — are co-sponsoring the Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act.
The bill would prohibit medical debt from appearing on credit reports, ban wage garnishment and cap interest at 3%, down from the current 8%.
“Medical debt is the number one reason why people go into bankruptcy in this country,” Grim said.
“We’re not going to push you to the brink of bankruptcy in order to pay,” Schmidt said.
However, the Trump administration has argued that shielding medical debt from credit reports is a federal responsibility, not the state’s, potentially complicating Ohio’s bill. The measure faces opposition, particularly from debt collectors.
“The only people who came out against the bill were the debt collectors when I had them in my office. They said, ‘You don’t understand, we may be out of a job,’” Schmidt said.
Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan health think tank, points out that the problem goes far beyond hospitals.
“We have a big problem in this country. The prices are too high. A lot of what gets done is probably not that necessary,” Saini said.
For patients like Randolph, the struggle is personal and uncertain.
10TV Reporter Kevin Landers: What’s going to happen if you can’t make these payments?
Randolph: In these circumstances, maybe bankruptcy. Everyone should have affordable health care. Everyone should be able to afford it if they’re sick and go to the hospital.
You can read Mary Rutan Hospital Full Statement here.
You can see how the hospital assisted patients here.
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