Posted on Jan 1, 2023
Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/16/ [login to see] /medical-debt-upended-their-lives-heres-what-it-took-from-them
Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. People from all walks of life and all corners of the country are living with health care debt.
Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. People from all walks of life and all corners of the country are living with health care debt.
Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them
Posted from npr.org
Health
Medical
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel COL Mikel J. BurroughsContributions to RIP Medical Debt was the focus of COL Burroughs’s Harley ride thru the West in 2019 where CPT Jack Durish sponsored a quick lunch at everyone’s favorite, In-N-Out Hamburger!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."But health insurance rules and restrictions are often so complex that even diligent patients struggle to make sense of them.
It's also not uncommon for medical debts to hurt patients' credit scores. There's growing pressure to change that.
This spring, the three leading credit agencies announced they would stop using small past-due medical bills in credit score calculations. And the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to investigate whether any health care bills should be counted.
What's left: The Pitzos managed to get the hospital to reduce their charges to about $30,000.
They worked to build Amanda's credit so she could apply for the loan and were finally able to buy a house in spring 2022. They're still making payments on about $19,000 in medical bills.
"It makes me sick about medical costs and how this whole thing is done," Amanda said."
..."But health insurance rules and restrictions are often so complex that even diligent patients struggle to make sense of them.
It's also not uncommon for medical debts to hurt patients' credit scores. There's growing pressure to change that.
This spring, the three leading credit agencies announced they would stop using small past-due medical bills in credit score calculations. And the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to investigate whether any health care bills should be counted.
What's left: The Pitzos managed to get the hospital to reduce their charges to about $30,000.
They worked to build Amanda's credit so she could apply for the loan and were finally able to buy a house in spring 2022. They're still making payments on about $19,000 in medical bills.
"It makes me sick about medical costs and how this whole thing is done," Amanda said."
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I understand but nationalized healthcare is not the answer. You can negotiate your medical debt or hire someone to do it for you.
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