Medical debt can overtake the average American household with little warning. Even those who have health insurance can wind up with big medical debts. They could require cancer treatments that their insurance company doesn’t cover or have coinsurance that requires them to pay a percentage of their care costs.
A stroke, a car crash or a degenerative medical condition could leave someone with more medical debt than they can reasonably repay. Unfortunately, the facility that provided your medical care may aggressively try to collect on that debt.
Hospitals have no qualms with suing their patients
You would think that a medical facility where you recently received a diagnosis or treatment for multiple sclerosis or cancer would know that you may not be able to work because of how sick you are. You may expect compassion, which they may offer as long as you can make regular payments on your balance owed. However, if they don’t get payments for the care they provide, they won’t hesitate to take legal action.
Many hospitals will quickly turn accounts over to private collection companies. They may also file a lawsuit either against an individual patient who owes money or their estate after they die. A hospital could ask a judge to garnish your wages when you go back to work or place a lien against your house. They could ask for tens of thousands of dollars of property from your estate.
Handling medical debts can be very difficult when you have had long-lasting limitations on your income due to health matters. Learning more about bankruptcy could help you take control over your medical debt before it has a lasting effect on your financial stability.
