Florida gubernatorial candidate calls for ban on medical debt

Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a 2026 Democratic candidate for Florida governor, is proposing a ban on medical debt and a state-run Florida Direct Care program that would pay providers directly. The plan targets uninsured and underinsured Floridians and could reshape how the state funds and delivers basic healthcare. Why it matters: - Castillo-Bach is making medical debt a centerpiece of her campaign, tying healthcare policy to housing stability, credit access and bankruptcy risk. - The proposal targets uninsured, underinsured and working Floridians who cannot afford private healthcare. - The campaign says the plan would help keep people from losing homes or falling into financial crisis after medical events. What happened: - Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a long-time Independent voter running as a Democrat for Florida governor in 2026, called for a ban on all medical debt on June 19, 2026. - Castillo-Bach announced a new state program called Florida Direct Care. - Florida Direct Care would pay healthcare providers directly and bypass insurance companies. - The announcement was made in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The details: - Castillo-Bach’s campaign is built around three pillars: Health, Home, Freedom. - She said healthcare should be treated as a human right, not a privilege. - Castillo-Bach said medical debt should not be reported to credit bureaus. - She also proposed banning lobbyists from writing laws for elected officials and requiring full disclosure of lobbying contacts. - Her plan would create a public database of healthcare prices so Floridians can see what services cost. - Castillo-Bach wants independent audits of state healthcare contracts to cut waste and fraud. - She said Florida Direct Care would be funded in part by healthcare surcharges on vessels valued at more than $10 million docking in Florida and luxury real estate valued at more than $20 million. - She also proposed requiring major retailers that do not provide health insurance to contribute to Florida Direct Care. - The retailer contribution formula would be developed by her expert team. - Small businesses and mom-and-pop stores would be excluded. - Castillo-Bach said she would convene experts to structure Florida Direct Care. - She said she would campaign across all 67 Florida counties to explain how voters can pressure elected officials to pass new laws. Between the lines: - The proposal is as much a political argument as a policy plan: Castillo-Bach is framing healthcare access as a driver of housing stability and personal freedom. - She is also signaling a confrontational approach to Florida’s current healthcare financing system, including insurers, lobbyists and state spending priorities. - Her funding ideas suggest she wants to tap wealth and large employers instead of relying only on general state revenue. - The campaign’s use of data points points to an argument that Florida has both unmet need and available fiscal capacity. What’s next: - Castillo-Bach said she would ask the Florida Legislature to impose the proposed surcharges. - She said her administration would create Florida Direct Care if elected. - Her campaign says she will keep pushing the issue statewide in all 67 counties. - The proposal would need legislative and administrative action to move forward. The bottom line: - Castillo-Bach is betting that healthcare affordability and medical debt can become a defining issue in Florida’s 2026 governor’s race.