Why Hawley Says the Proposal Is Necessary

In announcing the legislation, Hawley pointed to the staggering level of medical debt carried by Americans. According to the data cited in his release:

• Nearly 41% of U.S. adults carry some form of medical debt
• In just the past year, 31 million Americans borrowed money to pay for health care expenses, according to Gallup

These figures underscore how even insured Americans are increasingly struggling with deductibles, co-pays, prescription drug costs, and surprise medical bills. While insurance coverage rates have increased since the Affordable Care Act took effect, affordability remains a persistent problem.

Hawley argues that the tax code should not penalize families for unavoidable medical spending. Under his proposal, households facing large medical bills could at least reclaim part of that burden through lower taxable income at the end of the year.