June 15, 2025 • 7 mins
Mindy and Mikaela discuss good news with Olivia Hiltbrand!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
We all could use a little good news right for Kayla.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You know it, Mendy, and that's why we're here with
your good news segment sponsored by the Undefeated Tattletale.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Tattletale goes above and beyond to keep your family and
your property safe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Stop bad guys.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
That's always good news, and Tattletale is American Maide.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Check it out at tattletale dot com News.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right now, I just did a little Google search the
average cost and so many of you listening right now
will relate to this because you may have gone through
it or I'm sure someone you know has gone through cancer.
The average cost of cancer treatment in the US can
range from anywhere of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
to two hundred and eighty three thousand dollars or more.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's the average, and ninety percent of Ohioans believe that
people with serious illnesses should be able to move on
with their lives and not have to worry about long
term financial stress. Which is it part of a what pager?
From House Bill two fifty seven. We have Olivia Fecto
Hilt Brand, a Brett Hilt brand in with us today. Olivia,
you testified on HB two fifty seven. This is close
(01:09):
to your heart. It's important to you. Tell us a
little bit about what the bill is.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
So HB two fifty seven is the Ohio Medical Debt
Fairness Act. It basically takes three of what are considered
to be the most sort of common sense policies to
help people with medical debt. And so those policies are
capping the interest rates on medical debt at three percent
per year, because some patients have interest rates of up
to eight percent we've heard potentially higher. The second thing
(01:36):
it does is it bans wage garnishment, which is when
a debtor or creditor rather can take money directly out
of someone's paycheck, they're wages that they worked for. And Third,
it would ban reporting of medical debt to consumer credit bureaus.
So these are just three out of a possible I
think nine policies that some of the organizations involved in
(01:57):
trying to get this bill passed have considered. These are
the three that they think could make the most difference
for people with medical debt. So I testified just about
two weeks ago at the state House in support of
this bill because I really think it could make a
big difference for a lot of people. Here in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We see so many different videos of people testifying in
court for different causes.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
What did you say, Well, I mean, I told my story,
which I think you know. I think sometimes when you're
conveying that to lawmakers, and we know this from journalism,
the story is what resonates. You know, these stats about
how many people have medical debt, how it's had an
impact on their life. You can see the numbers and
it might look kind of shocking, but it's not until
(02:37):
you really hear a story that I think it really resonates.
We put a face to the number exactly. So I
told them my story. I told them about how expensive
it was, about spending fifty days in the hospital that
first year, going through dozens of chemotherapy treatments, a dozen
brain radiation treatments, bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was rough.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I mean, even if you take costs out of the picture,
it was really rough. And then to add the extra
stress of the financial aspect into it. So that was
what I wanted to convey to them, just that this
is something that could really help people who are already
just going through it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It started in twenty twenty, Brett, are you guys doing
okay today? Do you feel like it's managed? You were
married at the time. I'm fairly newly married, Am I
remembering that correctly? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Not super long. We got married in twenty eighteen, was
diagnosed in October.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Of twenty just after our second anniversary.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yet so so much on a young marriage. How are
things today? You're fighting for this, but at the same time, like, financially,
do you still have medical debt? I guess my question
in health.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Right, Yeah, And I think in many ways, you know,
we are kind of on the fortunate side of this spectrum, right,
and that we had the we had the means personal family, friends,
resources to be able to kind of have built in
safety nets, so to speak, to be able to fall
back on when we needed to. But it absolutely ended
(03:55):
Live's career in somewhat of a kind of ipso fact
way ended mine right effect and in requiring me to
come off the road and a full time freelance TV
sports TV broadcasting thing. It it we did everything right.
We you know, worked hard, we had jobs, we you know,
we bought a house, We did all of these things,
(04:17):
and in an instant the entire trajectory of your like
kind of financial climb right as you get older, changed
and set us back to the point where we quite
literally now you know, not quite five years from when
Lived was diagnosed, we have yet to recover.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And yet I've worked.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
In the majority of that time. Lived went to law
school in the in the meantime, you know, towards the
last kind of what nine months of treatment, yeah, law
school and then since graduate law school.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
But like, you know, we did everything right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
We had all of these resources, we had all of
these safety nets, we had savings, we had HSA's, and
yet we still you know, hit zero.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And we had a friend who created a GoFundMe for
us that raised thirty grand you know, and that's still
I mean, that's it was incredible that that that was
a thing. I wish it didn't have to be, but
it helped a lot. But again, not everybody has a
support system like we had, and we still do have
medical debt. I mean we you know, I'm very lucky
that the institutions where I got my treatment allow you
(05:21):
to do a no cost payment plan, a zero percent interest.
That has been incredibly helpful because we still have several
grand of medical debt, and every time you make a payment,
you have a new appointment and another few hundred dollars
gets tacked on. So it does feel like you're not
really making any progress. And I'm grateful to not have
the interest.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So we have about a minute left here. What a fighter.
First of all, you're going through all that emotionally, financially. Oh,
let's go through law school too.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I loved it when I thought she was doing that. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I mean, that is just a true testament to your
strength and your persevere here. So what happens now?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
So the testimony that I gave about two weeks ago
was proponent testimony. So the next step will be any
opponent testimony on the bill. We're not sure exactly when
that's going to happen. I know that the General Assembly
is trying to deal with some budget stuff now before
they go on their their recess, so we're hoping that
it'll get taken up when it comes back. Right now,
it's in the House Health Committee. Our sponsors on the
(06:16):
bill are great. We have one Republican sponsor, one Democratic sponsor,
which I think is fantastic, and some other lawmakers on board.
So we're really just hoping that we can, you know this,
get this bill passed, because I really think that these
policies could be incredible for a lot of people who
are struggling with debt.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
If you have bipartisan support, Live, I really do think
some things could happen. Because the House actually no one
ever really talks about it, but when you have bipartisan
support in the House, things happen. Yeah, we've seen we've
seen it, so we wish you the best of luck
whether it's and yes, the budget they're like going towards that,
but if it comes back in September, we'll definitely keep
up with you to see where it goes. But when
(06:53):
we saw this when we talked to Live after she
was diagnosed, Yeah, and so yeah on the show. So
to have you back on and to have you fighting
for this, it's really amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
The difference you could make to so many lives if
you can cut that cost for so many people. Yeah,
keep us updated, both of you, And it's so good
to see your beautiful faces again. So good to see
you guys.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Thanks for having us on.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, I feel old too.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
They look great.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I feel older and you feel older. I'm a decade
than this decade, older than me. Good to see you,
and we'll make sure to get this up online so
people can hear it beyond just today. Thank you, Take care,
This is what matters on six' TEN wtvn
We all could use a little good news right for Kayla.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You know it, Mendy, and that's why we're here with
your good news segment sponsored by the Undefeated Tattletale.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Tattletale goes above and beyond to keep your family and
your property safe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Stop bad guys.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
That's always good news, and Tattletale is American Maide.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Check it out at tattletale dot com News.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right now, I just did a little Google search the
average cost and so many of you listening right now
will relate to this because you may have gone through
it or I'm sure someone you know has gone through cancer.
The average cost of cancer treatment in the US can
range from anywhere of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
to two hundred and eighty three thousand dollars or more.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's the average, and ninety percent of Ohioans believe that
people with serious illnesses should be able to move on
with their lives and not have to worry about long
term financial stress. Which is it part of a what pager?
From House Bill two fifty seven. We have Olivia Fecto
Hilt Brand, a Brett Hilt brand in with us today. Olivia,
you testified on HB two fifty seven. This is close
(01:09):
to your heart. It's important to you. Tell us a
little bit about what the bill is.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
So HB two fifty seven is the Ohio Medical Debt
Fairness Act. It basically takes three of what are considered
to be the most sort of common sense policies to
help people with medical debt. And so those policies are
capping the interest rates on medical debt at three percent
per year, because some patients have interest rates of up
to eight percent we've heard potentially higher. The second thing
(01:36):
it does is it bans wage garnishment, which is when
a debtor or creditor rather can take money directly out
of someone's paycheck, they're wages that they worked for. And Third,
it would ban reporting of medical debt to consumer credit bureaus.
So these are just three out of a possible I
think nine policies that some of the organizations involved in
(01:57):
trying to get this bill passed have considered. These are
the three that they think could make the most difference
for people with medical debt. So I testified just about
two weeks ago at the state House in support of
this bill because I really think it could make a
big difference for a lot of people. Here in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We see so many different videos of people testifying in
court for different causes.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
What did you say, Well, I mean, I told my story,
which I think you know. I think sometimes when you're
conveying that to lawmakers, and we know this from journalism,
the story is what resonates. You know, these stats about
how many people have medical debt, how it's had an
impact on their life. You can see the numbers and
it might look kind of shocking, but it's not until
(02:37):
you really hear a story that I think it really resonates.
We put a face to the number exactly. So I
told them my story. I told them about how expensive
it was, about spending fifty days in the hospital that
first year, going through dozens of chemotherapy treatments, a dozen
brain radiation treatments, bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was rough.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I mean, even if you take costs out of the picture,
it was really rough. And then to add the extra
stress of the financial aspect into it. So that was
what I wanted to convey to them, just that this
is something that could really help people who are already
just going through it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It started in twenty twenty, Brett, are you guys doing
okay today? Do you feel like it's managed? You were
married at the time. I'm fairly newly married, Am I
remembering that correctly? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Not super long. We got married in twenty eighteen, was
diagnosed in October.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Of twenty just after our second anniversary.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yet so so much on a young marriage. How are
things today? You're fighting for this, but at the same time, like, financially,
do you still have medical debt? I guess my question
in health.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Right, Yeah, And I think in many ways, you know,
we are kind of on the fortunate side of this spectrum, right,
and that we had the we had the means personal family, friends,
resources to be able to kind of have built in
safety nets, so to speak, to be able to fall
back on when we needed to. But it absolutely ended
(03:55):
Live's career in somewhat of a kind of ipso fact
way ended mine right effect and in requiring me to
come off the road and a full time freelance TV
sports TV broadcasting thing. It it we did everything right.
We you know, worked hard, we had jobs, we you know,
we bought a house, We did all of these things,
(04:17):
and in an instant the entire trajectory of your like
kind of financial climb right as you get older, changed
and set us back to the point where we quite
literally now you know, not quite five years from when
Lived was diagnosed, we have yet to recover.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And yet I've worked.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
In the majority of that time. Lived went to law
school in the in the meantime, you know, towards the
last kind of what nine months of treatment, yeah, law
school and then since graduate law school.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
But like, you know, we did everything right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
We had all of these resources, we had all of
these safety nets, we had savings, we had HSA's, and
yet we still you know, hit zero.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And we had a friend who created a GoFundMe for
us that raised thirty grand you know, and that's still
I mean, that's it was incredible that that that was
a thing. I wish it didn't have to be, but
it helped a lot. But again, not everybody has a
support system like we had, and we still do have
medical debt. I mean we you know, I'm very lucky
that the institutions where I got my treatment allow you
(05:21):
to do a no cost payment plan, a zero percent interest.
That has been incredibly helpful because we still have several
grand of medical debt, and every time you make a payment,
you have a new appointment and another few hundred dollars
gets tacked on. So it does feel like you're not
really making any progress. And I'm grateful to not have
the interest.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So we have about a minute left here. What a fighter.
First of all, you're going through all that emotionally, financially. Oh,
let's go through law school too.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I loved it when I thought she was doing that. Incredible.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I mean, that is just a true testament to your
strength and your persevere here. So what happens now?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
So the testimony that I gave about two weeks ago
was proponent testimony. So the next step will be any
opponent testimony on the bill. We're not sure exactly when
that's going to happen. I know that the General Assembly
is trying to deal with some budget stuff now before
they go on their their recess, so we're hoping that
it'll get taken up when it comes back. Right now,
it's in the House Health Committee. Our sponsors on the
(06:16):
bill are great. We have one Republican sponsor, one Democratic sponsor,
which I think is fantastic, and some other lawmakers on board.
So we're really just hoping that we can, you know this,
get this bill passed, because I really think that these
policies could be incredible for a lot of people who
are struggling with debt.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
If you have bipartisan support, Live, I really do think
some things could happen. Because the House actually no one
ever really talks about it, but when you have bipartisan
support in the House, things happen. Yeah, we've seen we've
seen it, so we wish you the best of luck
whether it's and yes, the budget they're like going towards that,
but if it comes back in September, we'll definitely keep
up with you to see where it goes. But when
(06:53):
we saw this when we talked to Live after she
was diagnosed, Yeah, and so yeah on the show. So
to have you back on and to have you fighting
for this, it's really amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
The difference you could make to so many lives if
you can cut that cost for so many people. Yeah,
keep us updated, both of you, And it's so good
to see your beautiful faces again. So good to see
you guys.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Thanks for having us on.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, I feel old too.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
They look great.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I feel older and you feel older. I'm a decade
than this decade, older than me. Good to see you,
and we'll make sure to get this up online so
people can hear it beyond just today. Thank you, Take care,
This is what matters on six' TEN wtvn
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