NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the state has renewed, for the eighth time, an order to halt the collection of medical and student debt owed to the state of New York that has been specifically referred to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for collection — with limited exceptions — through Dec. 31, 2020.
After this period, the OAG will reassess the needs of state residents for another possible extension. Additionally, the OAG will accept applications for suspension of all other types of debt owed to the state of New York and referred to the OAG for collection, the AG’s office stated.
“As COVID-19 continues to spread, more and more New Yorkers are feeling its financial impact,” said James. “As we approach the holiday season and more begin to worry about their finances, my office is renewing the suspension of state and medical debt through the end of the year in order to alleviate some of these hardships and help New Yorkers make it through these difficult times. We will continue to look for ways to help New Yorkers to get back on their feet, and, by working together, it is our hope that we can rebuild our state’s economy and move towards a period of recovery.”
‘Enormous Sacrifices’
“New Yorkers made enormous sacrifices to bend the curve of this deadly virus, and we recognize many people are still struggling with both emotional pain and economic hardship as a result of this crisis,” said Cuomo. “Renewing the suspension on the collection of student and medical debt that is referred to the attorney general’s office through Dec. 31, 2020 will help lessen the burden faced by so many families and businesses whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic. I’m grateful to the attorney general for her partnership.”
The temporary policy has also automatically suspended the accrual of interest and the collection of fees on all outstanding state medical and student debt referred to the OAG for collection, so New Yorkers are not penalized for taking advantage of this program, the AG’s office said.