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.

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“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.

By Karen Bennett, Bankrate.com

Saving money in the current economic environment likely feels overwhelming. And the data supports how much of a struggle it is — only 46% of U.S. adults have enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses, according to Bankrate’s Emergency Savings Report. With 24% having no emergency savings at all, finding ways to cut expenses and build savings has become essential for financial security.

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The challenge isn’t just about earning more — it’s also about saving smarter. Even small changes to your spending habits can add up to significant savings over time. Whether you’re building your first emergency fund or trying to reach a specific savings goal, these proven strategies can help you keep more money in your pocket.

1. Review your spending habits

Before implementing any money-saving strategies, you need a clear picture of where your money currently goes. Most banks and credit card companies provide categorized spending reports through their online platforms or mobile apps, showing you exactly how much you’re spending on groceries, entertainment, utilities and other categories.

Track everything for at least one month: Review bank statements, credit card bills and cash receipts to understand your spending patterns. Many people are surprised to discover they’re spending far more than expected on subscription services, dining out or impulse purchases.

Identify spending leaks: Look for recurring charges you forgot about, subscriptions you no longer use or categories where you’re consistently overspending. Common culprits include streaming services, gym memberships and automatic renewals for apps or software you rarely use.

2. Automate your savings

Setting up automatic transfers from your checking to your savings account each payday removes the temptation to spend money before saving it. This “pay yourself first” approach ensures consistent saving without requiring ongoing willpower or decision making.

First, calculate your monthly expenses and determine how much you can realistically save each month. Consider automatically transferring a percentage of each paycheck — such as 10% or 20% — rather than a fixed dollar amount. This approach scales your savings as your income fluctuates and helps build the habit of living below your means.

Many budgeting apps can track spending, issue overspending alerts and automate savings transfers. Apps like YNAB (You Need A Budget) and Rocket Money can help coordinate your spending and saving goals in one platform.

3. Use cash-back apps and credit card rewards

Cash-back apps can reduce your overall spending on purchases you’re already making. These tools work best when used strategically for planned purchases rather than encouraging additional spending.

If you pay off credit card balances in full each month, cash back credit cards can provide 1% to 6% back on purchases. Stack cash-back apps with rewards credit cards for double savings.

4. Reconsider your mobile provider

Cellphone plans often include features and data allowances far beyond most users’ actual needs. With increased competition among mobile providers, switching carriers can provide significant monthly savings without sacrificing service.

Companies like Mint Mobile, Visible and Ting Mobile are known for offering plans that are cheaper than major carriers while using the same cellular networks. It pays to research coverage in your area and compare plan features to find the best value. Plus, check your phone’s data usage statistics to determine how much data you actually use monthly. If you primarily use Wi-Fi at home and work, you may be paying for more data than necessary.

If multiple family members need service, family plans from both major and smaller carriers often provide better per-line pricing than individual plans. But before switching, call your current carrier to discuss potentially lowering your monthly bill. Many providers offer retention discounts to customers considering switching to competitors.

5. Turn off store promotion notifications

Your smartphone can be a powerful money-saving tool, but it can also trigger impulse purchases through promotional notifications, deal alerts and targeted advertising. Taking control of these digital spending triggers can significantly reduce unplanned purchases. This includes:

Unsubscribe from promotional emails.
Disable app notifications.
Remove shopping apps from your phone.

6. Shrink your utility bills

Home utility costs continue rising, but several changes can reduce your monthly bills without significantly impacting your comfort or convenience:

LED lighting savings: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that switching to LED bulbs can save the average household around $225 annually.
Seal air leaks: You can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs by sealing air leaks and adding insulation. Many utility companies offer free energy audits to identify the most impactful improvements for your home.
Smart thermostat benefits: Programmable and smart thermostats can reduce heating and cooling costs by automatically adjusting temperatures when you’re away from home.
Water conservation: Installing low-flow showerheads, fixing leaks promptly, and watering lawns during cooler morning hours can significantly reduce water bills.
Energy assistance programs: The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible households pay energy bills, weatherize homes and make energy-related repairs. Check your local utility companies for additional rebate programs.

7. Evaluate your entertainment expenses

Entertainment subscriptions can quickly add up to $100 or more monthly. Regularly reviewing and optimizing these services can free up significant money for savings.

Instead of paying for multiple streaming services simultaneously, consider rotating subscriptions monthly or seasonally. Services like Sling TV, Hulu and Fubo often cost less than traditional cable packages while offering access to popular content. If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, take advantage of the included Prime Video streaming service and Prime Music to potentially eliminate other subscription costs.

Public libraries offer free access to more than just physical books. You may be able to use your local library to check out movies, music, audiobooks and digital content through apps like Libby.

8. Take advantage of free local attractions

A little research can help you find fun, affordable attractions and activities in your local area. For instance, some museums and art galleries offer free admission on certain days of the week or month. Libraries may offer passes to parks, zoos or museums on a first-come, first-served basis. Or you can just head outdoors for a hike, bike ride or picnic.

Your bank may even offer free access to attractions. For example, Bank of America’s Museums on Us program gives the bank’s debit and credit card holders complimentary access to around 240 cultural institutions across the country.

9. Be a strategic grocery shopper

While you’ll need to keep buying food despite higher prices, you can learn how to save money on groceries. One method is to avoid throwing away unused food. For a U.S. household of four, the annual cost of food waste is around $2,913, or $56 per week, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

AAs you make your grocery list, think about what you threw away last time and how to avoid letting that happen again. Planning out your upcoming meals can help you avoid buying things you don’t need — and avoid waste, in turn. Also, take a tour of your pantry first and build your meals around what you already bought.

10. Break up with brand names

Speaking of groceries, consider whether you really need to pay for expensive brand-name foods. A comparison of ingredients and labels on things like noodles, cereal and spices may show generic alternatives to be just as nutritious and high-quality as their top-shelf counterparts.

The same concept can apply to non-food items such as paper products, hand soap and laundry detergent. Try to find more affordable alternatives for any such brand-name household items you buy. You can always switch back to your original choice if you’re not happy with the lower-priced alternative.

11. Explore other banking options

Banking fees can drain hundreds of dollars annually from your accounts. Shopping for better banking options can eliminate these unnecessary costs:

Monthly maintenance fee waivers: Online banks like Ally Bank and Marcus by Goldman Sachs typically don’t charge monthly maintenance fees on checking or savings accounts. They also frequently offer higher interest rates than traditional banks.
High-yield savings benefits: Online high-yield savings accounts currently offer rates around 4.00% APY, compared to the national average of 0.61%. Moving $10,000 from a traditional savings account to a high-yield account could earn an additional $300 or more annually.
ATM fee reimbursements: Many online banks and credit unions reimburse ATM fees charged by other banks, potentially saving $5 to $15 monthly for frequent ATM users.
CD and money market options: If you have funds you won’t need for several months or years, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts from online institutions often provide significantly higher returns than traditional savings accounts.

12. Compare car insurance rates

If you have a track record of safe driving, it can pay to shop around for a good insurance provider that will reward you for your responsible behavior. Compare other car insurance quotes with what you currently pay to see how much you can lower your premiums for the same amount of coverage.

Those who don’t spend much time behind the wheel may be able to cut costs by going with usage-based insurance, which can tailor your coverage to fit how much you actually use your vehicle.

13. Use coupons and promotional codes

Couponing might sound old-school, but finding deals doesn’t always require clipping portions of the Sunday newspaper. When you’re shopping online, take a few minutes to search for a coupon code when websites offer a “promo code” box on the checkout page.

Browser extensions like Rakuten and Coupert automatically search for online coupons while you shop. Capital One Shopping is another tool that can find online deals automatically, and it’s available to everyone — not just Capital One customers. It works by searching for coupon codes, best prices and rewards at more than 100,000 online retailers.

14. Challenge yourself to a spending freeze

Try taking control of your finances by embarking on a spending freeze — also known as a no-buy challenge — during which you cut all unnecessary spending for a set period. This could give you a sense of how much you’re spending on nonessentials like trips to the coffee shop. Add the extra money you have at the end of the month to your savings or use it to pay down debt.

Bottom line

If you’re serious about reaching your financial goals, our 14 tips on saving money offer you a good starting point. Now that you have a basic understanding of how to save money, it’s a good idea to plan where you’ll allocate your savings — and put your plan into action.

For example, if you want to bulk up your emergency fund, transfer any savings out of your checking account each week or month so you’re less likely to spend it. If you need to pay down debt, create additional payments that automatically come out of your bank account. Whatever your goals, make the process of saving as effortless as possible.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 30-day rule? The 30-day rule is a simple strategy of holding off for 30 days before making a nonessential purchase. By waiting, you’ll give yourself a chance to consider whether you want and need the item, whether you can truly afford it and if your money should be allocated toward a higher priority instead.

What are some ways to save money yearly? Look to your retirement account and tax refund for ways to increase your savings each year. Steps to do so include these ideas:

Take advantage of an employer match for your 401(k). Many employers match up to a certain amount of what you put into your 401(k) based on how much you contribute. Get the most for your money by contributing enough to receive the full employer match.
Open an individual retirement account (IRA). A traditional or Roth IRA is another place to invest in your retirement, and they each have certain tax advantages. Unlike 401(k) accounts, IRA accounts are not administered through an employer. They’re commonly offered by banks, credit unions, brokerage firms and mutual fund companies.
Save or invest your tax return. If you’re getting an annual tax refund from the IRS, consider putting it into a savings account or investing it.

How can I build an emergency fund? An emergency fund can help keep you from going into debt when unexpected costs arise. To get started with building up your emergency savings:

Create a budget and pay attention to areas where you can start saving more money.
Open a high-yield savings account, if you don’t already have one. Setting up automatic transfers to this account every payday helps ensure you’ll continue to save money.
Save unexpected income or any windfalls, such as tax returns or work bonuses.
Aim to save at least three to six months’ worth of expenses in your emergency fund.

What is the 50/30/20 budget rule? This simple budgeting strategy involves setting aside 50% of your monthly income for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. Allocating your money into these three buckets can be a simple and effective way to change your spending and saving habits.

Key takeaways

Only 46% of U.S. adults have enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses, making saving money more crucial than ever.
Automatic transfers to a high-yield savings account earning around 4% APY can help build emergency funds without extra effort.
Cash-back apps and comparison shopping can save hundreds annually on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and insurance.
Simple changes like switching to generic brands, negotiating bills and using coupons can free up significant money for savings.

©2026 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By STEVE PEOPLES and THOMAS BEAUMONT

DALLAS (AP) — The mess in Texas may be just beginning.

Four-term Sen. John Cornyn and his allies spent nearly $70 million to survive the first round of the party’s nomination fight on Tuesday. He was slightly ahead of conservative firebrand Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, with more votes still being counted on Wednesday.

Both now advance to a May 26 runoff election that Republicans fear could be even uglier and more expensive than the first contest.

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“It’s judgment day for Ken Paxton,” Cornyn said on Tuesday night.

But whether any level of attacks can stop Paxton — who has long been shadowed by allegations of corruption and infidelity — remains unclear, especially as he fashions himself as the kind of Make America Great Again warrior President Donald Trump needs in Washington.

Paxton was defiant when speaking to a few hundred supporters at a Dallas hotel ballroom, a far different scene than Cornyn’s small press conference.

“We just sent a message, loud and clear, to Washington,” he said. “We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you buy the seat.”

Republicans are sweating the runoff because the 83-day sprint takes place as operatives in both major political parties acknowledge that Democrats have an unusually solid chance of winning a Senate seat in Texas this year, something that hasn’t happened in nearly four decades.

Democrats nominated state Rep. James Talarico, who Republicans immediately attacked as a far-left extremist — even though they privately consider the 36-year-old Christian progressive to be a stronger general election candidate than his primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

The Texas contest is playing out as Trump fights to maintain control of Congress for his final two years in the White House. Republicans are more confident about keeping their majority in the House than in the Senate, but a competitive race in Texas could scramble the map, or at least consume resources that the party needs in more competitive states like North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska.

Republican leaders in Washington insist that Cornyn has the best shot, especially after he finished ahead of Paxton in Tuesday’s primary, with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finishing a distant third and conceding. But Paxton and his allies are showing no signs of backing down.

“The D.C. establishment has done its job: it rallied around its wounded incumbent, opened the fundraising spigot, and flooded the airwaves. But the results, the data, and the reality on the ground all point to the same conclusion: John Cornyn has no viable path to the Republican nomination,” the pro-Paxton Lone Star PAC wrote in a memo. “Cornyn should suspend his campaign, concede the nomination to Ken Paxton, and refuse to allow another $100+ million in Republican resources to be burned in a race that is already decided.”

The only person who might be able to forestall the intraparty fight, or at least limit its fallout, is Trump. But the president has declined to endorse a candidate in the primary, describing all of them as “great,” and it was unclear if anything would change in the runoff.

Without Trump’s support, Cornyn made it clear that he would make the case himself. He told reporters that Paxton would be “a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans” in November.

“I’ve worked for decades to build the Republican Party, both here in Texas and nationally,” Cornyn said. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years.”

Cornyn will face intense fundraising pressure, having already spent so much money in the first round of the primary. Aides said he had some small fundraisers planned but nothing in the days immediately after this week’s vote as he returns to Washington.

In addition, Paxton’s allies are confident that the political landscape will tilt in the attorney general’s favor.

“The casual and moderate Republican voters who are most likely to support an establishment incumbent are the least likely to return for a runoff,” said the memo from the Lone Star PAC. “The committed conservative activists who form Paxton’s base are the most likely to show up.”

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/elections.

By BILL BARROW

Jasmine Crockett on Wednesday conceded the Democratic primary in the Texas Senate race to James Talarico.

The congresswoman called on the party to unify behind the state representative, who clinched the nomination overnight.

“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett said in a statement. “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track.”

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, greets supporters at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Crockett’s campaign had previously suggested that she would file a lawsuit over voting challenges in the primary. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about those plans.

Talarico will face the winner of the Republican runoff, either Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton.