The healthcare debate rolls on with hot rhetoric off the charts this political season. Despite calls for repealing the ACA or expanding Medicare for all, the already-broken system is not likely to be torn asunder anytime soon. Though frustration remains high, some of healthcare’s most pressing financial problems can be solved right now, within our communities and without government intervention.

Consumers with little or poor credit, poor repayment histories, and longstanding negative account balances are, understandably, not typically thought of as “ideal customers” for banks and other financial institutions. Indeed, these profiles, along with consumers with low or volatile incomes, have long been flagged as too risky to fully serve.