Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who are on the frontlines combating the novel coronavirus outbreak could soon see their student loans forgiven, Business Insider reported.
On Tuesday, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) proposed a bill which would forgive public and private student loans for those healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly against the ongoing spread of the deadly virus.
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All health workers who are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak would be eligible for the student debt relief.
This includes nurses, doctors, technicians, and even researchers working towards treatments and vaccines, Maloney said, adding that a special commission will determine which workers will qualify.
As per the proposed bill, loans incurred from medical school or other professional education would be forgiven.
Maloney emphasized that there would be “absolutely no cap” on how much debt is forgiven.
As she explained, “We should do more than thanking [healthcare workers],” and a “concrete” way of doing that would be do ensure they don’t have to worry about repaying their student loans.
Maloney isn’t the first to propose loan forgiveness in the House.
Other Democrats have proposed similar bills for wide-spread loan forgiveness. However, they would only cover public loans and would have a $30,000 cap.
Maloney said she supports “debt relief for all”, but believes a targeted approach for healthcare workers would likely pass Congress more quickly.
The New York lawmaker has likened healthcare workers’ response during the outbreak to those made by emergency responders during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Frontline health workers are delivering care to the sickest patients and putting their own safety at great risk in order to keep doing their jobs,” Maloney said in a press release . “[They] are worrying about their own health and how it will affect their families. They should not have to worry about their financial security after the crisis has passed. That is a burden that we can lift right now. And this bill will do that.”
“It will help take care of the people taking care of all of us.”
