New bill would forgive student loan debt for COVID-19 health workers

WASHINGTON (WSET) -- A new bill has been introduced toforgive student loan debt for health care workers treating patients on the COVID-19 front line.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said the bill wouldeliminate student debt for health care workers on the frontlines, called the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act.

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TheStudent Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act wouldrelieve health care workers who are involved in the COVID-19 responseof both private and federal student loan obligations related to their medical and professional education.

"Student loan debt, which can total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, is a huge burden for doctors, nurses and other health care workers. They shouldn’t be forced to worry about their financial well-being in addition to their health and the health of their families," Rep. Maloney wrote on Twitter.

She said eligibility would extend to nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

"Student loan forgiveness would help boost morale among nurses because it is vital that nurses feel their country cares just as much about them as they care about their country,” said Nicole Kirchhoffer DNP(c),MSN, RN, CEN. “Putting my life in imminent danger to provide care for those inflicted with COVID-19 while having graduate student loan debt looming over me and my family is psychologically distressing and distracting in a time where I need to be more focused than ever."

Many healthcare workers are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt.

Last month, more than 500,000 people signed a MoveOn petition asking Congress to include student loan debt forgiveness for doctors in the next stimulus bill.

TheAmerican Medical Association, the country's largest association of physicians, along with dozens of other health care organizations sent a letter to Congress asking forstudent loan forgiveness of at least $20,000 for residents and early graduated medical students whose debt averages over $200,000.