Posted on Jun 21, 2022
North Carolina considers new laws to 'de-weaponize' medical debt and protect patients
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/21/ [login to see] /north-carolina-considers-new-laws-to-de-weaponize-medical-debt-and-protect-patie
When Erin Williams-Reavis faced a $3,500 surgery bill, the hospital offered to let her pay in $300 monthly installments. It was too much, said Williams-Reavis, 44, who lives in Greensboro, about an hour west of the state capital. Her hours as a personal assistant had been cut, and she and her husband were behind on bills, even requesting a forbearance on their mortgage.
In Charlotte, Patrick Oliver was stunned to receive a nearly $30,000 bill after a trip to the emergency room for numbness and burning in his hands and feet. When Oliver, 66, and his wife, Mary, couldn't pay, the hospital sued them. The couple feared they'd lose their home.
In Asheville, Emmaleigh Argonauta's $25.72 medical bill was sent to collections. She said that she'd paid the bill but that the hospital system hadn't recorded it. It took Argonauta eight months, a slew of calls and emails, and a full day at the billing office to resolve the debt.
Now, they're all waiting to see whether North Carolina's lawmakers will make good on a bill that its sponsors say will "de-weaponize medical debt.
When Erin Williams-Reavis faced a $3,500 surgery bill, the hospital offered to let her pay in $300 monthly installments. It was too much, said Williams-Reavis, 44, who lives in Greensboro, about an hour west of the state capital. Her hours as a personal assistant had been cut, and she and her husband were behind on bills, even requesting a forbearance on their mortgage.
In Charlotte, Patrick Oliver was stunned to receive a nearly $30,000 bill after a trip to the emergency room for numbness and burning in his hands and feet. When Oliver, 66, and his wife, Mary, couldn't pay, the hospital sued them. The couple feared they'd lose their home.
In Asheville, Emmaleigh Argonauta's $25.72 medical bill was sent to collections. She said that she'd paid the bill but that the hospital system hadn't recorded it. It took Argonauta eight months, a slew of calls and emails, and a full day at the billing office to resolve the debt.
Now, they're all waiting to see whether North Carolina's lawmakers will make good on a bill that its sponsors say will "de-weaponize medical debt.
North Carolina considers new laws to 'de-weaponize' medical debt and protect patients
Posted from npr.org
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Hospitals do "more than any other part of the health care field to assist vulnerable patients," she wrote in a statement to KHN. They try to make it easy for patients to learn about financial assistance through counselors, call centers, virtual chat tools, and more, she said, but it's "a two-way process," and patients must provide financial information to be qualified.
The North Carolina Collectors Association declined to comment.
For people with onerous medical bills, the legislation can't come fast enough and can't go far enough.
Emmaleigh Argonauta, who was sent to collections over that erroneous $26 bill, said the law should also require hospitals to provide an itemized bill to every patient, without waiting for them to request it.
Patrick and Mary Oliver, who were sued by a hospital, said health systems need to be clearer about the cost of services upfront and justify those costs.
Erin Williams-Reavis, who was offered the $300 monthly payment plan for her surgery bill, said lawmakers should speak with more "normal people" when revising the legislation "because we're the ones who are affected."
The medical debt bill is currently under review by the House banking committee, where it is likely to be revised. To pass into law this session, the bill has just two weeks left to make it through the North Carolina House and Senate.
KHN senior correspondent Noam N. Levey contributed to this report.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. It is an editorially independent operating program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)."...
..."Hospitals do "more than any other part of the health care field to assist vulnerable patients," she wrote in a statement to KHN. They try to make it easy for patients to learn about financial assistance through counselors, call centers, virtual chat tools, and more, she said, but it's "a two-way process," and patients must provide financial information to be qualified.
The North Carolina Collectors Association declined to comment.
For people with onerous medical bills, the legislation can't come fast enough and can't go far enough.
Emmaleigh Argonauta, who was sent to collections over that erroneous $26 bill, said the law should also require hospitals to provide an itemized bill to every patient, without waiting for them to request it.
Patrick and Mary Oliver, who were sued by a hospital, said health systems need to be clearer about the cost of services upfront and justify those costs.
Erin Williams-Reavis, who was offered the $300 monthly payment plan for her surgery bill, said lawmakers should speak with more "normal people" when revising the legislation "because we're the ones who are affected."
The medical debt bill is currently under review by the House banking committee, where it is likely to be revised. To pass into law this session, the bill has just two weeks left to make it through the North Carolina House and Senate.
KHN senior correspondent Noam N. Levey contributed to this report.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. It is an editorially independent operating program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)."...
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