This week’s edition of InnovationRx debuts a new look. In it, we take a look at new rules for medical debt, the raw milk farm at the center of California’s bird flu emergency, the cause of the mysterious disease in Congo and more. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra

On Tuesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a new set of regulations governing how lenders consider medical information when making a decision on a loan application. They would remove medical debt from appearing on people’s credit reports and prohibit lenders from considering medical debt as a factor when making a decision on a loan application. This is a big deal as some 15 million Americans have an estimated $49 billion in medical debt.

Although the rules prohibit lenders from using medical information in making any lending decisions, such data can still be considered when verifying relevant requests such as a medical forbearance or to verify healthcare expenses that might be covered by a loan. The regulatory body’s move follows a 2023 decision by credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to remove medical debts under $500 from credit reports. Once the rule goes into effect, people who have their medical debts removed will likely see an average improvement of 20 points on their credit score, according to the agency.

Tomas Ovalle/Raw Farm

Mark McAfee hopes to become the chief advisor on raw milk in the next Trump Administration. The cofounder and CEO of Raw Farm, the country’s largest producer that’s been at the center of raw milk recalls in California, said he’s in discussion about the role and hoped to help Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a raw milk proponent who’s been nominated as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services, set standards on raw milk that would ensure safe production, while allowing more distribution of it.

“I’m the raw milk guy,” Mark McAfee, 63, said in a telephone interview, adding, “I’m the only guy that knows this stuff.”

It’s been a moment for the raw milk industry and for Fresno, California-based Raw Farm. First, Raw Farm recalled several batches of its milk and cream after testing by the California Department of Public Health found bird flu virus in samples of its milk. Then it shut its dairies while its herd is under quarantine. Over the past few weeks, the drumbeat of news about bird flu went from bad to worse, as the virus spread to cats and to people, with a child in California testing positive (from an unknown source) and a person in........

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