Medical debt may soon vanish from your credit file
It’s estimated that most Americans have had outstanding medical bills at one point or another, and medical debt is a leading cause of personal bankruptcies.
That may soon change.
The country’s biggest credit-reporting firms — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — plan to strip most medical debt from people’s credit files.
So now we can get people into massive medical debt, AND let them get multiple other types of debt. How about working on fixing the system that prevents competition and lets medical providers charge such exorbitant prices (looking at you, "$18,000" basic procedure I recently had done).
A better fix will be to create universal healthcare. That then implies that the government get out of the way of stopping Musk to travel in the actual UNIVERSE. Don't forget that government paid free healthcare will double the bills and triple your taxes. And that is NOT a math error.
It would probably be worse than that. If I am no longer responsible for my medical expenses, I am free to take more risks...because Someone Else Will Pay. I was thinking about quitting smoking, but if universal health care existed, I probably wouldn't. I enjoy it, and someone else can pay for my care if I ever get sick from it.
Yeah, more trying to get the .gov OUT of creating and maintaining all the artificial rules demanded by healthcare-related lobbyist that prevent competition from being possible.
My friend was an RN for 30 years. She then became a medical auditod working for the patient's insurance company and somwtimes directly with the patient.
Having inside knowledge and know the billing codes she tore through hospital billings like a bloodhound. Male patients charged once or multiple time for a pregnancy test, or $35 for a single Ibuprofen (which the patient did not receive) or billed for treatment for a thing - like a broken bone - that did not actually happen.
Too, many times the hospital might not provide an itemized billing. You have to demand it to which they say no so you become more forceful which has mo effect so you promise to rip out their teeth with bolt cutters then all of a sudden reams of billing appear in your mailbox. Mind you this had dragged on for months until within hours it is resolved.
Based on what my friend showed me I say that $18,000 may well have been cut in half, maybe more.
I fully understand your situation. I have not had insurance in 20 years, however I have paid every medical bill my beautiful wife and I have ever had. In 2016 I needed to have surgery for a malignant melanoma that was found on my arm. The dermatologist removed it but could not tell if they got it all. Back Story, I am a former Navy EOD Diver and suffer from skin cancer because of my service. There was also an issue of whether the cancer had leaked into lymph nodes. The surgeon knew I was self pay and directed me to MDSAVE.COM. The hospital called me and informed me it would be 15k just for the operating suite, with MDSAVE I paid $1,800.00 dollars. That included surgeon, hospital, anesthesiologist, radiation test and everything. The surgery included the excision of the area around the cancer and the removal of the node or nodes that were compromised. 5 and 1/2 years later I felt a lump under my arm, turns out the cancer had made its way inside of me. I live in Houston Texas now, I needed to have additional lymph nodes removed and biopsied, for the hospital and all the trimmings it would have been 45K as best as we could calculate. We went back to MDSAVE and It cost us 5K, with everything included. And we had a kick ass surgeon who wore shit kicking boots in his scrubs!! A few weeks after I found new lumps and it was more cancer, we did MDSAVE again and that was on March 8th. I am now looking for other ways to battle a very aggressive cancer than them digging my body out. If you have medical issues look to alternatives such as MDSAVE, you could find it will not only save you fiscally but body wise also.
Test were done and it was determined there could have been a leak to a node.
That's actually a good idea. Many people fail to pay, while waiting for the insurance company to kick in (or, because due to their health problem, are out of work).
Except that anytime someone gets something without paying, someone else IS paying for it. Guess who? Other patients? Taxpayers? Who?
Better to fix the system of medical excess and the associated costs. My own doctor has to work with other docs in a clinic because of malpractice insurance requirements and costs. I was prescribed 'Brilinta' by a hospital doctor for more than $400/month AFTER INSURANCE, that does the same thing as $10/month Plavix. What. The. Fuck.
Look on the bright side, if the government is in control of your healthcare, you can be easily cancelled like the trucker's bank accounts. Instead of getting that potentially life saving procedure, you can be prescribed euthanasia drugs -- all for the better of society don't you understand.
How are they going to know what type of debt it is? When I had surgery, I charged my out of pocket on my Visa. That debt shows up as being owed to the bank that issued the card.
Good start. Little perspective ala the 1st comment above by cj. 1968, broken leg, crushed in a couple places, ankle broken, 2 orthopedic surgeries, 45 days in hospital, 120 shots of morphine, and everything that goes with 45 days in hospital. Total Cost paid in cash by my parents - $1800.00 That'd have to be a couple million today. Far beyond even a twilight zone level inflation index. Somehow medical costs got nuked. I'm thinking profiteering, but most of all, lousy stnkin lawyers suing the industry into being unrecognizable. Like they do with most everything in America.
So now we can get people into massive medical debt, AND let them get multiple other types of debt. How about working on fixing the system that prevents competition and lets medical providers charge such exorbitant prices (looking at you, "$18,000" basic procedure I recently had done).
ReplyDeleteA better fix will be to create universal healthcare. That then implies that the government get out of the way of stopping Musk to travel in the actual UNIVERSE.
DeleteDon't forget that government paid free healthcare will double the bills and triple your taxes. And that is NOT a math error.
It would probably be worse than that. If I am no longer responsible for my medical expenses, I am free to take more risks...because Someone Else Will Pay. I was thinking about quitting smoking, but if universal health care existed, I probably wouldn't. I enjoy it, and someone else can pay for my care if I ever get sick from it.
DeleteYeah, more trying to get the .gov OUT of creating and maintaining all the artificial rules demanded by healthcare-related lobbyist that prevent competition from being possible.
DeleteMy friend was an RN for 30 years. She then became a medical auditod working for the patient's insurance company and somwtimes directly with the patient.
DeleteHaving inside knowledge and know the billing codes she tore through hospital billings like a bloodhound. Male patients charged once or multiple time for a pregnancy test, or $35 for a single Ibuprofen (which the patient did not receive) or billed for treatment for a thing - like a broken bone - that did not actually happen.
Too, many times the hospital might not provide an itemized billing. You have to demand it to which they say no so you become more forceful which has mo effect so you promise to rip out their teeth with bolt cutters then all of a sudden reams of billing appear in your mailbox. Mind you this had dragged on for months until within hours it is resolved.
Based on what my friend showed me I say that $18,000 may well have been cut in half, maybe more.
Anon needs to try out Universal health care. Go to England and try to get some health care through the NHS. hysterical laughter...
DeleteI fully understand your situation. I have not had insurance in 20 years, however I have paid every medical bill my beautiful wife and I have ever had. In 2016 I needed to have surgery for a malignant melanoma that was found on my arm. The dermatologist removed it but could not tell if they got it all. Back Story, I am a former Navy EOD Diver and suffer from skin cancer because of my service. There was also an issue of whether the cancer had leaked into lymph nodes. The surgeon knew I was self pay and directed me to MDSAVE.COM. The hospital called me and informed me it would be 15k just for the operating suite, with MDSAVE I paid $1,800.00 dollars. That included surgeon, hospital, anesthesiologist, radiation test and everything. The surgery included the excision of the area around the cancer and the removal of the node or nodes that were compromised. 5 and 1/2 years later I felt a lump under my arm, turns out the cancer had made its way inside of me. I live in Houston Texas now, I needed to have additional lymph nodes removed and biopsied, for the hospital and all the trimmings it would have been 45K as best as we could calculate. We went back to MDSAVE and It cost us 5K, with everything included. And we had a kick ass surgeon who wore shit kicking boots in his scrubs!! A few weeks after I found new lumps and it was more cancer, we did MDSAVE again and that was on March 8th. I am now looking for other ways to battle a very aggressive cancer than them digging my body out. If you have medical issues look to alternatives such as MDSAVE, you could find it will not only save you fiscally but body wise also.
DeleteTest were done and it was determined there could have been a leak to a node.
That's actually a good idea. Many people fail to pay, while waiting for the insurance company to kick in (or, because due to their health problem, are out of work).
ReplyDeleteExcept that anytime someone gets something without paying, someone else IS paying for it. Guess who? Other patients? Taxpayers? Who?
DeleteBetter to fix the system of medical excess and the associated costs. My own doctor has to work with other docs in a clinic because of malpractice insurance requirements and costs. I was prescribed 'Brilinta' by a hospital doctor for more than $400/month AFTER INSURANCE, that does the same thing as $10/month Plavix. What. The. Fuck.
Ed
It's another step toward Universal, government (your tax money financed) Health Care.
ReplyDeleteLook on the bright side, if the government is in control of your healthcare, you can be easily cancelled like the trucker's bank accounts. Instead of getting that potentially life saving procedure, you can be prescribed euthanasia drugs -- all for the better of society don't you understand.
Delete"Bright Side". Me being 80 years of age and seeing the country sliding into the shithole I might not fight the power that hard.
DeleteHow are they going to know what type of debt it is? When I had surgery, I charged my out of pocket on my Visa. That debt shows up as being owed to the bank that issued the card.
ReplyDeleteOnce you "pay" with your credit card, yeah, you're toast. If you just stiff the doctor's office or hospital, then you're golden.
DeleteGood start. Little perspective ala the 1st comment above by cj.
ReplyDelete1968, broken leg, crushed in a couple places, ankle broken, 2 orthopedic surgeries, 45 days in hospital, 120 shots of morphine, and everything that goes with 45 days in hospital. Total Cost paid in cash by my parents - $1800.00
That'd have to be a couple million today. Far beyond even a twilight zone level inflation index. Somehow medical costs got nuked.
I'm thinking profiteering, but most of all, lousy stnkin lawyers suing the industry into being unrecognizable. Like they do with most everything in America.
Also, more GOV regulations, requirements, reports, and others that add to the cost of care, but do not really increase the quality of said care.
Delete