By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If ever there was liberation to be found in the never-ending grind of nightly meal preparation, it’s got to be the ready-to-go product scorned by some but beloved by many: the supermarket rotisserie chicken.

Related Articles

Recipe: This salad in a jar will add pizzazz to workday lunches

Rotisserie chicken meets grapes and pecans in a crisp romaine wrap

In this Minnesota city, it’s tradition to line up for ice cream even when it’s 6 degrees

How social media killed the food festival stars. And created others

After about 30 years, Minnesota’s last two D’Amico & Sons restaurants will both close next month

Personally, the plump and juicy birds have come to the rescue more times than I care to count in my own kitchen over the years, both as a last-minute main course served with veggies and rice and picked clean to star in chicken salad.

Groceries and warehouse clubs like Sam’s and Costco do flawlessly what many of us struggle to do at home — roast a whole chicken to golden-brown perfection on a rotating spit so that every morsel is cooked evenly and deliciously tender.

Admit it, you’ve torn into one with your finger while standing over the kitchen sink because you just! can’t! wait! to get a taste of that heavenly smelling, rich and flavorful meat, right?

Sure, it might be cheaper to buy a raw broiler and cook it yourself. But do you really want to invest two or three hours to roast a 4- to 6-pound chicken on a busy weeknight when you’ve got a much easier option right at hand? You’re likely at the store anyway trying to figure out something quick and easy, so why not give in to the convenience a precooked bird offers?

That, in a nutshell, is the beauty of a rotisserie chicken. It stands at the ready, hot, fresh and ready to eat. All you need is a carving knife and fork.

Already got that night’s dinner planned? If you pick and pull the meat from the bone — a process that takes about 10 minutes — then shred it or cut it into bite-sized chunks, you’ve got a terrific, cost-effective building block for several meals.

A 3-pound bird at Costco — which yields about 4 cups of meat, depending on how thoroughly you pick it — runs just $4.99, while a 2-pound chicken at Giant Eagle costs $7.99 and will net around 3 cups.

We’ve rustled up five recipes using rotisserie chicken that will make short work of dinner. They include a chili-forward chicken tortilla soup that will take the chill off a cold winter day; chicken enchiladas topped with a spicy roasted poblano sauce; a silky chicken pasta with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce; a tangy Asian chicken salad that gets its crunch from cabbage and also includes fresh citrus; and for fans in search of a quick and easy tailgate nosh for Super Bowl, buffalo chicken pizza balls.

None of them take more than a half-hour to prepare, including prep time, putting dinner on the table in about the same time it takes to watch an episode of my favorite predinner show, “Jeopardy.”

A few tips for choosing a rotisserie chicken:

—Larger is definitely better when picking a precooked bird, so look for one that feels heavy for its size. If it’s plump, it’s going to be moist.

—The skin should be evenly browned, with taut skin. If it’s shriveled, that means it’s been overcooked and lost moisture.

—Always look for a timestamp to see how long it’s been sitting out; a fresh bird will have a steamy package.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

PG tested

This soup is a family favorite. It comes together quickly and is so warm and comforting on a cold winter evening!

You can find ancho chilies in most larger grocery stores and Latin American markets like Reyna Foods in the Strip District. I add sliced tortilla strips to give it more heft and corn flavor.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded and torn into large pieces

1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 medium yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic

8 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or cubed

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup canola oil, for frying

14 white or yellow corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 -inch strips

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed

1-2 cups shredded quesadilla or Monterey Jack cheese

2 limes, cut into wedges

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat and fry the torn chili pieces quickly for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn them or they will have a bitter taste.

Puree fried chilies with tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a deep pot over high heat.

Add blended ingredients and fry for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat and fry tortilla strips until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Set out separate bowls along with avocados, cheese, lime and cilantro.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a handful of tortilla strips. Each person can add avocados, a squeeze of lime juice, cheese and cilantro according to taste.

Serves 6-8.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Enchiladas Pachuquenas

PG tested

If you love salsa verde sauce, you’ll adore this recipe. It comes from the stellar cookbook “Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex Mex” by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn (Trinity University Press, $34.95) and hails from Pachuca in Hidalgo. It features a creamy green sauce made with roasted poblanos, peanuts and cream on top of corn tortillas stuffed with shredded rotisserie chicken. Queso fresco, a mild and milky cheese, balances spicy food exceptionally well.

With so many peppers, it sounds like it will be spicy. But it’s only mildly so, since poblanos have a lot less heat than, say, jalapeños.

For filling

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup queso fresco

For sauce

6 poblano chiles, fire roasted, peeled, seeded and deveined, divided

1 medium white onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 slice French bread, soaked in 1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup heavy cream

Milk or water, for thinning sauce

Kosher salt

For assembly

12 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

For garnish

Sliced radishes

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Reserved poblano chile, chopped

1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Make filling: Mix shredded chicken with queso fresco and set aside.

Prepare sauce: Place 5 prepared poblano peppers, onion, roasted peanuts and bread with soaking milk in a blender and puree until smooth.

Strain through a medium-mesh strainer.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add poblano puree, reduce heat to medium low and cook 5-8 minutes, or until sauce slightly darkens.

Stir in cream. Taste and season with salt. Gently simmer for a few minutes longer to allow the flavors to meld. Add milk or water as needed to attain a medium sauce consistency. Cover, set aside and keep warm.

Assemble enchiladas: (Have the garnishes ready at hand.) Pour 1/2 inch oil into heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to low frying temperature (about 300 degrees).

Place each tortilla in oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften. Drain on paper towels.

Dip a softened tortilla in warm sauce. Place 2 tablespoons filling on each tortilla. Fold in half and place, slightly overlapping, on a warm individual plate, 3 enchiladas per serving. Top with more sauce.

Garnish with radishes, lettuce, polano and queso fresco.

Serves 4.

— “Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex” by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn

(Re)marry-Me Chicken Pasta

PG tested

This hearty riff on Marry-Me Chicken is a must-have if you love the rich flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. It’s probably not for the calorie-conscious — it includes both Parmesan and cream — but it will hit the spot if you’re looking for a creamy, rich dish.

I used rigatoni, but any favorite pasta will work.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/2 pound cooked rigatoni or other favorite pasta

Fresh basil, torn, for serving, optional

In skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, cream, and Parmesan; season with salt and bring to a simmer.

Add shredded chicken to pan, and toss to combine. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta and stir well to combine. Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan for dusting and torn basil.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Asian Chicken Salad

PG tested

It can be tough to figure out how to dress up crunchy winter veggies like cabbage. This crisp and tangy salad, which also features winter citrus, is both healthful and satisfying.

I shredded the rotisserie chicken, but you could also cut it into fork-friendly chunks or slice into larger portions. Add the dressing a little at a time to prevent sogginess and be sure to toss gently (I used my hands) so it’s evenly coated.

If you don’t have fresh mandarins, canned is great — just be sure to drain all the juice.

For dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1-inch knob fresh ginger, finely minced or grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For salad

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 cup mandarin orange segments

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 cups chicken shredded rotisserie

3 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal

For garnish

1 cup fried tortilla strips or chow mein noodles

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Make dressing. In large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger, garlic and black pepper until well combined. Set aside while you prepare salad.

In second large bowl, toss together green and red cabbage, orange segments, carrot, chicken and scallions.

Add to bowl with dressing, and toss well to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow cabbage to soften.

Garnish with fried tortilla strips and sesame seeds, and serve.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Balls

PG tested

These super-easy pizza puffs are filled with that quintessential pregame nosh: Buffalo chicken. If you can cut refrigerated pizza dough into squares, you can make these! A brush of garlic butter before baking adds a savory finish.

1 package refrigerated pizza dough

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

4 ounces ( 1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing

1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce, or more to taste

For topping

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Generous pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a baking sheet with olive oil or butter.

Roll a package of pizza dough onto the baking sheet and cut into 24 squares.

Prepare chicken dip. In large bowl, mix shredded chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese or ranch dressing and Frank’s RedHot until well combined.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of Buffalo dip onto each dough square, then fold the opposite corners to each other so they overlap.

Press the seams together, flip over so the seam is down, and shape gently into a ball.

Combine melted butter, parsley, garlic and salt in a small bowl.

Brush the sauce onto each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Serve hot, with ranch or blue cheese for dipping.

Makes 24 balls.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and DAVID KLEPPER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged Wednesday that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly giving it control of the Islamic Republic’s airspace.

Related Articles

Republicans brace for an ugly fight in the Texas Senate runoff between Cornyn and Paxton

Jasmine Crockett concedes to James Talarico in Texas Democratic Senate primary

Congress taking first votes on Iran war as debate rages about US goals

Spain’s Sánchez says ‘no to the war’ in Iran despite Trump’s trade threat

US soldiers were killed in Iranian drone strike on operations center at Kuwait civilian port

The U.S. has spared “no expense or capability” to enhance air defense systems to protect American forces and allies in the Middle East, Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in a war that has widened throughout the region.

“This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense,” he said.

The acknowledgement that additional drone or missile strikes in the region could cause damage and harm to troops comes as President Donald Trump and top defense leaders have warned that additional American casualties were expected in a conflict that could last months.

U.S. service members “remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same press conference.

Six soldiers were killed when an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center Sunday in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base. The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, says the center was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.

Hegseth also signaled a possible longer time frame for the conflict than has previously been floated by the Trump administration, saying it could last eight weeks but that the U.S. has the munitions and the equipment to beat Iran in a war of attrition. He declined to set a specific time range, saying the specific duration of the war would depend on how it unfolds.

“You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” he said. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”

More forces continue to arrive in the region, including jet fighters and bombers, Hegseth said, and the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”

Tehran has vowed to completely destroy the Middle East’s military and economic infrastructure — signaling the war was nowhere near over and could expand further.

President Donald Trump said this week the campaign are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

Associated Press writers Ben Finley and Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

By SARA CLINE

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — As people awoke to headlines over the weekend about deadly U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and potential of widening conflict, alerts, social media and conversations at the dining room table were consumed by the news.

While medical experts say it is normal for people to experience stress and anxiety — or feeling that the world descended into chaos overnight — it is important to find coping mechanisms and ways to responsibly take in the news in order to protect one’s mental health.

“Fear, sadness, confusion… these are very normal reactions to very extreme circumstances,” Michael S. Ziffra, a Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine professor and psychiatrist, told The Associated Press. “People shouldn’t feel guilty, or they shouldn’t feel like it’s wrong to feel anxiety. It’s a very normal human response. The key is to know how to manage it.”

Normal feelings

Since 2020 — a year marked by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, social and political unrest and weather-related disasters — Ziffra said he has “absolutely, without question” seen an uptick in patients bringing up increased anxiety provoked by current news.

Some patients vent, some talk about obsessively scrolling on social media and others discuss feeling helpless and frustrated.

But, psychiatrists say those feelings are absolutely normal and to be expected. In fact, sometimes they can result in something positive — from getting involved in advocacy, joining a social or political organization or just contacting lawmakers.

Other’s may seek to learn more about what is going on. But like with most things in life, moderation is important.

“The problem is, for a lot of people, they just kind of wallow in it. They ruminate and obsess and just sort of stew in it,” Ziffra said.

Consuming distressing news

In today’s world, people are just a click away from learning about practically anything they want — sometimes even less, with a predetermined algorithm on social media pushing posts or alerts on their phone interrupting their day. People have access to 24/7 news cycles and phone cameras can capture, and disseminate, videos and images of disasters within seconds.

For years, Dana Rose Garfin, a psychologist and professor at University of California, Los Angeles, has been studying “cascading collective traumas” and researched how the media’s continuous coverage of COVID increased anxiety. Garfin said the reality is that people don’t consume the news how they used to. Instead of reading a newspaper or flipping on the evening news once a day, people are “much more exposed” to current events.

And as people learn about disasters or breaking news, they become distressed.

“In terms of any kind of crisis, people turn to the media for information. And that’s a very logical, rational and helpful reaction,” Garfin said.

“But, what we’ve seen in our research is there’s this sort of reciprocal effect. An event happens, people learn about it, they turn to the media to learn more about it, and they’re really distressed,” Garfin said, adding that what occurs next is a cycle that people have a hard time removing themselves from. “It sort of activates these processes where then they’re both more distressed and want to know more about this event because they’re distressed.”

Responsibly consuming media

While experts said they understand people’s need to continue to seek out news, there is a way to do it responsibly without becoming overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted. Their top suggestion was to eliminate or cut down on social media and obsessive “doomscrolling.”

“I don’t immerse myself in social media, and that’s a very conscious decision on my part to protect my own mental, and physical, health,” said Roxane Cohen Silver, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, and who co-authored the study with Garfin. She specifically raised concerns about graphic images and video that quickly circulate on social media that can cause distress and long-term anxiety when seen repeatedly.

Related Articles

Penguins in party hats? Birthday cards cheer families of babies treated for botulism

Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s holding back of Medicaid funds

Trump’s Medicaid work mandates are meant to save money. But first states will have to spend millions

Clinics sour on CMS after agency scraps 10-year program only months in

Red and blue states alike want to limit AI in insurance. Trump wants to limit the states

“I think that one can stay informed without immersing oneself in graphic images,” she said.

Garfin suggested finding more “enjoyable” ways to consume news, such as an informative news article, listening to a podcast or watching a news segment. “That’s different than this kind of letting the algorithm suck you in for eternity in a mindless fashion.”

Experts also urged people to set timers, when scrolling on their phone. Both iPhones and Android devices have controls to help regulate screen time.

Ziffra suggested choosing neutral news sources. “Try to avoid things where it’s very partisan and where there’s going to be a lot of inflammatory content, because that’s going to likely exacerbate your anxiety and make you feel anxious, angry, scared.”

Identifying coping mechanisms

Even if a worrisome news event is happening thousands of miles away, and even if it doesn’t directly impact a person reading about it, it can still cause intense stress and anxiety. For that reason, medical experts urge people to identify other ways to cope.

“People have a lot of inherent knowledge of what helps them… and things that they find comfort in, which is different for everybody,” Garfin said.

From breathing exercises, going for a walk, leaning into hobbies, getting together with friends, talking to a therapist, creative pursuits and self care, psychiatrists say it is important to redirect your attention in other ways.

“Things that are going to get your mind off of all of the obsessing and worrying and really putting your thoughts on something more positive,” Ziffra said.

By Rae Ellen Bichell, KFF Health News

Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills.

The legislation introduced in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington builds on efforts made in other states in past years. This latest push for patient protections comes as the Trump administration has backed away from federal debt protections, health care has become more costly, and more people are expected to go without medical coverage or choose cheaper but riskier high-deductible insurance plans that could lead them into debt.

Related Articles

Penguins in party hats? Birthday cards cheer families of babies treated for botulism

Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s holding back of Medicaid funds

Trump’s Medicaid work mandates are meant to save money. But first states will have to spend millions

Clinics sour on CMS after agency scraps 10-year program only months in

Red and blue states alike want to limit AI in insurance. Trump wants to limit the states

“In the wealthiest country on Earth, people are going bankrupt, suffering wage garnishment, just because they get sick,” said Colorado state Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Democrat who introduced legislation on Feb. 19 that would, among other measures, ban wage garnishment for medical debt.

That legislation is under consideration after a KFF Health News investigation found that courts approved wage garnishment requests in an estimated 14,000 medical debt cases a year in Colorado. The investigation also showed that it isn’t just urban hospitals or big health care chains allowing their patients’ wages to be garnished. It’s also small rural hospitals, physician groups, and public ambulance services, among other medical care providers. And the reporting showed that wage garnishment can erroneously target patients. For example, one family lost wages — and subsequently power to their home, because they couldn’t pay their electric bill — after an ambulance company incorrectly billed the family instead of Medicaid.

Wage garnishment is one tool creditors can use in most states to recoup money from people with unpaid bills. In many states, they can garnish someone’s bank account or put a lien on their home, too. To garnish a person’s wages, a creditor must typically get permission from a court to make the person’s employer hand over a piece of the debtor’s earnings.

“The creditor is taking the money directly out of somebody’s paycheck, and so it doesn’t leave people with any choice to say, ‘I need to prioritize food for my children,’” said Lauren Jones, legal and policy director for the National Center for Access to Justice. The center, based at Fordham Law School, scores states and the District of Columbia on how fair their laws are to consumers who get sued over debt.

It is legal to garnish patients’ wages for medical debt in all but a few states, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation based in New York focused on health care.

Now, lawmakers in additional states seek to ban the practice entirely. Others want to limit it by exempting debtors whose household income falls under a certain threshold or by upping the amount of earnings immune from garnishment.

Such policies on wage garnishment fit into a larger push around the country to address the effect of medical debt on people’s lives and finances. Those efforts include barring medical debt from credit reports, prohibiting liens on people’s homes, capping interest rates, and limiting the ability to file lawsuits against people with low incomes over unpaid medical bills.

Debt collectors have fought against such measures, arguing they don’t solve the problem of health care affordability and hurt the ability of medical providers to continue to provide care.

“The wage garnishment process is already highly regulated at the federal and state level and includes many consumer protection measures,” said Scott Purcell, chief executive of ACA International , an association of credit and collection professionals.

Even before the Colorado legislation was introduced, BC Services sent a letter warning its clients that the legislation “poses an existential threat,” especially to rural health providers. And Bridget Frazier, a spokesperson for the Colorado Hospital Association, said Feb. 20 that the bill “could drive up costs and financial risk for health care providers, making it harder to keep hospitals sustainable and ensuring Coloradans have access to care when they need it most.”

The pending Colorado measure would ban wage garnishment for all patients. It also would limit bank garnishments, in which a patient’s financial institution must hand over a chunk of the money in the person’s account. Additionally, among other things, it would prevent payment plans from exceeding 4% of weekly net income, require creditors to check whether uninsured patients are eligible for public health insurance before collecting, bar creditors from collecting on bills that are more than three years old, and leave medical care providers liable to the patient for at least $3,000 if collectors don’t comply.

“No one is saying, ‘Don’t get paid for your services.’ We’re saying getting health care should not lead to financial ruin for people,” said Dana Kennedy, co-executive director at the Denver-based Center for Health Progress, a health advocacy group that has been working with lawmakers on the Colorado measure.

Kennedy said that KFF Health News’ investigation drove home how many kinds of Colorado health care facilities are willing to let this collection practice happen to their patients, and that the people whose wages are being garnished are often working at Family Dollar, Walmart, Amazon, or gas stations and restaurants.

“Medical debt is typically different from other forms of indebtedness,” said Colorado state Sen. Mike Weissman, a Democrat co-sponsoring the legislation. “You could choose to keep driving your old car or buy a new one and take on debt for that. You could upgrade your home. You could buy consumer appliances. There’s not usually that voluntary element in a health care context.”

Carolyn Carter, a senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, said broad laws that don’t require patients to jump through hoops to access protections are the most likely to be effective. Because of that, she and other consumer advocates prefer state policies that get rid of wage garnishment for all debtors and all types of debt.

“It can be hard to identify medical debt as medical debt,” Carter said. “For example, if you have a medical debt and you put it on your credit card, it’s not going to be easy for a court system to identify that debt as medical debt.”

She said another reason is that complexity is the enemy of effectiveness. Carter pointed to a report about Hamilton County, Tennessee, showing that even though people in the state can keep $10,000 in their bank accounts safe from garnishment, few consumers take advantage of the protection. They must know the protection exists, know where to find the relevant form, get the form notarized, file it, and mail copies to creditors. The same report found that garnishments can also be burdensome for employers, who must process garnishments and can find themselves in court if they make an error.

Jones, at the National Center for Access to Justice, said outlawing wage garnishment fully, rather than limiting it, has other benefits. “It’s also to protect people’s jobs, because in most states, if somebody has two or more orders of garnishment, they can lose their job for it,” she said.

Still, some lawmakers are pushing for the intermediate route. In Washington state, Democratic state Sen. Marko Liias is spearheading legislation to rope off a larger portion of low-wage earnings from garnishment. So, for example, a person making $1,000 a week would be able to keep their whole paycheck, as opposed to the $800 that the law would currently protect.

Mindy Chumbley, owner of a Washington-based collections company and an ACA International board member, testified against the bill on Feb. 2. “Washington has made sweeping changes to medical debt policy year after year without pausing to study the cumulative impact,” she told lawmakers. “Our clients are reporting clinic closures, urgent care centers shutting down, staffing shortages, and rural facilities struggling to stay open.”

The Washington State Hospital Association said it is neutral on the legislation. The American Hospital Association said it does not take positions on state policies.

Liias told KFF Health News that lawmakers need to ensure health care providers can recoup their costs while also protecting patients. “We don’t want families either to be driven into bankruptcy or to be driven into under-the-table work to avoid these garnishment thresholds,” he said.

Liias said his measure follows the lead of Arizona, which passed similar consumer protections in 2022. “Obviously, the health care system is still functioning in Arizona, and folks are able to make it work.”

©2026 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.