https://macropaperwarehouse.com/authors/neale-mahoney/Neale MahoneyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-ushttps://macropaperwarehouse.com/papers/the-effects-of-medical-debt-relief-evidence-from-two-randomized-experiments/https://macropaperwarehouse.com/papers/the-effects-of-medical-debt-relief-evidence-from-two-randomized-experiments/<p><strong>Research Question</strong></p> <p>This paper asks whether relieving downstream medical debt — debt that has been sold to third-party debt collectors — causes improvements in financial outcomes, mental and physical health, and healthcare utilization for recipients. The question is motivated by a large correlational literature documenting strong associations between medical debt and adverse outcomes, and by the rapid expansion of government and private debt relief programs that, as of mid-2024, had committed or planned over $14.6 billion in relief.</p>