A Full-Scale Assault on Medical Debt, Part 2

By BOB HERTZ The first section of this article stated that many forms of medical debt can be reduced or cancelled by stronger enforcement of consumer protection laws. These debts are not inevitable and are not due to poverty. It would not require trillions of federal dollars to cancel them, either – just the willingness to go against lobbyists. Therefore I advocate the following attacks on medical debt: Phase One We must cancel balance bills and surprise bills if there was no prior disclosure. In most cases, providers will not have the right to collect anything more than what the  insurers pay them. Phase Two We must cancel the older, inactive “zombie debts” that are being purchased by collection agencies. This line of business must terminate. Providers throughout the country are selling uncollected medical debt for pennies on the dollar to collection agencies, who aggressively attempt to force patients to pay the full amount due. These debt collectors harass patients at work and at home, deploying unscrupulous tactics even after the statute of limitations on the debt has expired.  Debt collection lawyers can file hundreds of suits a day, often with little evidence that the alleged debt is actually owed. Once a lawsuit is filed, the process is stacked against defendants, the overwhelming majority of whom are not represented by an attorney. And collectors have a big advantage in small claims courts, which provide very ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Economics The Business of Health Care balance bills Bob Hertz health economics medical debt surprise billing Source Type: blogs