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From injury to bankruptcy
Courts, research indicate medical bills are pushing more people into debt
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.
Medical debt is reportedly pushing more people into bankruptcy. It shouldn’t be that way, but the current health care system often leaves people with large debt.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that bankruptcy attorneys and trustees say there has been an increase in people filing for bankruptcy because of medical costs. Studies suggest that as many as six in 10 filings are related to medical bills.
The uninsured aren’t the only people with big medical bills who are filing for bankruptcy. People with insurance are finding themselves saddled with debt after an illness or a hospital stay.
Critics of the plans in Congress to overhaul the health care system argue that many who end up in bankruptcy claiming medical bills have other debt as well, including money owed on credit cards, student loans and mortgages.
That was true for Jodie and Charlie Mullins of Dickson, Tenn., who had all of the above when Jodie needed spinal surgery. They had insurance but it paid only 80 percent of the costs. “The medical problem is what took us down,” Jodie Mullins said.
Wes and Katie Covington of Smyrna, Tenn., both had good jobs, but medical bills sunk them. Katie had complications during a pregnancy and Wes had knee surgery because of an injury that was forcing him to miss work. “I tell my wife that we beat the economy,” Wes Covington said, “but health care beat us.”
So much for insurance.
Susan R. Limor, a bankruptcy trustee in Nashville, Tenn., said bankruptcy court has “really become the insurance system for the country,” noting a rise in the number of people discharging medical debt.
The plans being debated in Congress would help the uninsured, who get saddled with the entire cost of medical treatment, by expanding insurance coverage. For those people with insurance, out-of-pocket costs would be capped.
Those are good ideas that would help prevent medical bankruptcies, which are tragic. During the discussion on improving the system’s health care system, Congress shouldn’t lose sight of this trend. Who would argue that it is acceptable for people to go bankrupt just because of an illness?
Discussion: 24 comments so far…
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Not true bidwell29! Maybe you can.
Fellow Doers of Good - (those who cast in favor of Obama) I have to get my coffee soon or I'll fall back asleep and my boss will jump on me for being yet late to work again!! Yes, if you are insured even then, does not mean you can still pay for your hosiptal or drug requirements. People who do not have any money cannot pay even $89 bucks for their pills as given us by CriminalBush and his drug plan for the big corporations who have made billions and still are. Your surgery that costs $28,000 and is paid, lets say, by your Medicare if you have it, still requires you pay the standard hospital decuctable of $1068. Where does that come from if you have no money? Also those litte MRI and Anes. bills come in to further nickle and dime you to death at $100 here and a $100 there will not be paid by the person who has no money. Bankruptcy is the way out unless you can hide, turn off your phone if you have one and lock your mail box up from demanders. Say your rent is $1000 a month and your income is $1347 - how can you eat and have a few cocktails and a few packs of cigarettes on that and STILL pay your medical bills? CANT. Eight years of making life horrible for the middleclass and low income folks under CriminalBush will not easily be remedied. A solution is to reenact the Medicare Drug Insurance Plan to where the drugs are provided for $4 per prescription, period. Many thousands buy them from Canada at regular price at about one third of what they pay here in the US. Also, eliminate that standard hospital deduction of $1068, period. AND, add a dental plan to all this and spread Medicare out to our entire population. Stop illegal wars and crooks on Wall Street and tax cuts for the wealthy and all this will easily be paid for, and I haven't even mentioned China yet. This plan could easily include a stipend each month for a few bottles of medium quality vodka and a carton or two of regular cigarettes for those of us who might need some modicum of enjoyment in our lives of tension and turmoil over the last eight years of disaster. Where's the love gone in this country? Thank You.
it really is very simple...
you either support the public option...
or...
you support the greedy pig insurance companies and their very real death panels and the money grubbing whore doctors...
period...
end of story...
What does a public option that would only cover 4.5 million people have to do with this failure?
Nothing
A very good article. I am so thankful that I live in Canada where we have universal coverage. Medical costs are too large to be the responsibility of individuals. The USA looks like a third world country to any outsider who examines its patchwork medical insurance "system". Any plan without a "public" component is laughable.
FromBellevilleCanada......
You hit the nail on the head. When it comes to our health care system, the United States is a third world country. The public option is a must if every American is going to be covered...end of story!
No matter what words they paint with they are about taking from working people and giving to the inner city folks that don't.
This is about Chicago and Detroit, not about Las Vagas or Nevada. The net of all the games will be more money taxed and increased cost to us to give to them.
Neiman1...nearly every hospital in Nevada is in serious trouble. 30% of Nevadans are uninsured which is a primary cause of our hospital problems. We are also at the top of the bankruptcy heap. There are so many medical bankruptcies in our state the firms representing hospitals can't get the people into court they are trying to sue.
The medical mess affects our state more than any other in the US.
I am also so thankful that "Oh Canada" lives in Canada where he can live off taxpayers without any responsibility to himself or others.
"Oh Canada" thinks the USA looks like a third world country. He should know.
On a different discussion post it was mentioned that "Oh Canada" was a Vietnam draft dodger who deserted to Canada. Now he would like to return to the U.S. if he can get free health care paid for by those greedy American taxpayers...
Something has to be done. I don't see this as a democratic, republican, libertarian, or conservative issue. I see it as a people issue. How to deal with the problem seems to be the major roadblock and polarizing point. Emergency care is the most expensive means of treating the uninsured, and taxpayers end up picking up the tab anyway since many of the uninsured walk away from paying the bill after receiving treatment, even though the majority of them have jobs. I know people who go to the emergency room for treatment and don't even think about paying the bill. What they ususally say is "the government will pay for it," but what they are really saying is let the rest of the people pay when I go to the emergency room to get treated. Medicaid covers a lot of the other uninsured in this country. They wouldn't need to be covered under hc reform because we're already paying for them. To make the uninsured pay their share they should have to pay premiums like the rest of us. As the system is set up now, they get treated, and we pay for it. This makes it more difficult for us to have more of our own money to spend as we see fit. Make them pay,too.
LarryVegas:
You were the poster who suggested that I might be a Vietnam deserter who fled to Canada. Repeating it does not make it true.
In fact I am a recently retired lawyer who was born and has lived in Canada all my life. I love Las Vegas and visit there on vacation often. Hence my interest in American issues.
As a person used to universal health care, I do not view it as taking from the hard-working and giving to the lazy. I view it as sharing the cost of an essential service, and the cost is enormous. But that is the price of a just society. That also partly explains why I hate to see good money wasted on war.
Belleville, Canada. Sounds like a nice place. You are probably aware that Nevada is infested with poorly educated Rednecks working for tips. And right now, they're hurting big time here. If they don't get their 32 hours a week of work, they lose their health benefits. And all the casinos are cutting their hours big time. But if they lose their benefits, so what? As long as they can hate Obama, love Bush, smoke their butts and suck on a beer while watching Fox News, they're happy. The more wars, the merrier. Wait a minute-what if they get sick? Nah, can't happen. "Honey, get my 5 gallon bucket of roofing tar, the trailer is leakin' again".
This is a Dropout/Military hell....
Oh crap, now we find out "Oh Canada" is a lawyer. What could be worse. A liberal Canadian lawyer who can't keep his nose out of others business.
By the way there, "Oh Canada," How are things in Belleville these days?
Has the economic conditions improved there lately?
Is unemployment still above the average for Canada.
Belleville per capital income is below average for Canada.
Is Belleville still having a difficult time attracting doctors?
I heard Belleville got a government grant to build subsidized housing.
Maybe "Oh Canada" has not given his hometown enough advise on economics or maybe he has given them too much advice...
Hey "bendover," would you care to elaborate a little on your "This is a Dropout/Military hell...." statement?
LarryVegas: Your running a close 2nd to jib for stupidest on this board.
Very close.
Thanks there Wayne, I always aim to please. I am one step behind you now. jib asked me to stand in for him today. He is at the dentist getting his teeth sharpened. He said he would catch you later...
Do you lib idiots think the public option will save you? Instead of going bankrupt, the government will just refuse coverage and send you home to die. Death panels are coming!
Larry may still be thinking about what Stan commented about on the other posts.
Herr Schlegel: your personal insults are not very insulting. Can't you do better? Are you not secure in your opinions? I've noticed that you Leftists are getting increasingly shrill. Don't wet your pants tonight.
P.S. Don't believe anything you read in the New York Times.
The US taxpayers are already bankrupt thanks to our government. A government take over of an already expensive medical system isn't going to solve that problem. Lets get real.
Patrick....The US has about 150 trillion in stocks, bonds, commercial and residential real estate. In addition we have an economy that will grow to about 20 trillion GDP in the near future. Bankrupt with 11 trillion in liabilities. Not even close.
Rebelron...If you don't think people are dying in droves today with 2.3 trillion in med bills to pay talk to folks with serious chronic illness and ask how they are doing with 50-100k in treatment costs per year.
I hope you fellow posters realize larryvegas is only 4'10" tall. The only place he can talk big and the truth won't be known is on line. larry don't you understand we can talk nice to each other? Who knows something good could come out of it. Talking trash like you do will just close everybodies eyes to your post everytime they see your name. If you want to crack a joke, make sure it's funny for everyone.