1/2 U.S. personal bankruptcies from medical bills

[chequita guevara]

700,000 personal bankruptcies each year, half the total, are due to medical bills a study relseased tonight is showing. What's worse, 75% of those were with people who were covered with health insurance.

We sure have the best system in the world. Yup.

Can't find a linky at the moment, but it was on both NPR and ABC News.

[chequita guevara]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=463499

[Lawrence of Arabia]

bankruptcies arnt solely cuz they needed to get treatment - they spent way too much before on SUVs and other consumer items without saying any, and then when they got sick they ran out. this happens for two reasons: 1. govt, and 2. the govt. my first point is that the govt takes too much of the poors money and in fact the poor shouldnt pay any taxes at all. the second point is that since the govt doesnt give incentives for people to save, they just continute to spend like no other, leadint to debt and zero savings.

[Dis]

national healthcare system

[chequita guevara]

Leave it to a libertyrant to completely miss the point.

What usually happens, actually, is that due to their illness or injuries, people lose their jobs, and thus their insurance (since you have to pay for COPA out of your own pocket--but you have no income). Once that happens, the medical bills begin pilling on fast and furious.

The medical advisor on NPR said the best advice she could give is "don't get sick," and try and save more and get out of debt before something bad happens. Course, if we all did that, our economy would collapse.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

What usually happens, actually, is that due to their illness or injuries, people lose their jobs, and thus their insurance (since you have to pay for COPA out of your own pocket--but you have no income). Once that happens, the medical bills begin pilling on fast and furious.

once again, if they had saved money, they would be able to withstand this shock. second of all, you dont lose your job when you get sick/injured. show me a worker that got fired because of an illness or injury, and ill give you the number to mark geragos.

[Dis]

I'm currently unemployed. So I don't have health care. Basically, there is no way in hell I'm going to the doctor. Definately not a hospital.

As much as the goverment screws things up, we do need some sort of national health care system. I think increased corruption is worth the price we have to pay.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia


once again, if they had saved money, they would be able to withstand this shock. second of all, you dont lose your job when you get sick/injured. show me a worker that got fired because of an illness or injury, and ill give you the number to mark geragos.

who has the capability of saving $100,000 !!!

For example, the construction worker who recently shot a nail into his brain racked up $80,000 to $100,000 in medical bills. He does not have medical insurance.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
once again, if they had saved money, they would be able to withstand this shock.

The average amount of debt incurred by medical bills over their insurance is $13,000. Even if you saved 5% of your income, it's unlikely that you'd be able to cover it, and would still be forced to file for bankruptcy.

second of all, you dont lose your job when you get sick/injured. show me a worker that got fired because of an illness or injury, and ill give you the number to mark geragos.

That's only if its the result of a work injury. If you miss too much work because of of an illness, the company certainly can and will let you go. I've seen it happen to a coworker who was in the hospital for a month.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

who has the capability of saving $100,000 !!!

For example, the construction worker who recently shot a nail into his brain racked up $80,000 to $100,000 in medical bills. He does not have medical insurance.

no one. but his union coulda done something for him besides doing deals with the mafia.

That's only if its the result of a work injury. If you miss too much work because of of an illness, the company certainly can and will let you go. I've seen it happen to a coworker who was in the hospital for a month.

i dont buy that. being in the hospital for a month isnt that long for a serious injury.

The average amount of debt incurred by medical bills over their insurance is $13,000. Even if you saved 5% of your income, it's unlikely that you'd be able to cover it, and would still be forced to file for bankruptcy.

or take a long, or get a payment plan. youd have that money if the govt didnt tax you so much. if they didnt take a payroll tax every paycheck, the poor could afford to withstand something like this financially. its your SS taxes that make this guy unable to pay his medical bills.

[chequita guevara]

Funny how this doesn't happen in countries like Canada where the government taxes them even more.

[laurentius]

Originally posted by Dissident
I'm currently unemployed. So I don't have health care. Basically, there is no way in hell I'm going to the doctor. Definately not a hospital.

As much as the goverment screws things up, we do need some sort of national health care system. I think increased corruption is worth the price we have to pay.

State organised and subsidised healthcare is actually a lot cheaper, more efficient and better quality than what you have right now. Only the richest can afford to see doctors equal to ours who treat us for almost free. (I pay 3 euros per call, I had a cosmetic surgery that cost me 4 euros to remove a mole from my nose)

[Whaleboy]

Do you guys have to pay even for emergency treatment?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Whaleboy
Do you guys have to pay even for emergency treatment?

Why save someone who doesn't have any money to their name? It's bad for the economy.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Whaleboy
Do you guys have to pay even for emergency treatment?

Not only do we have to, its more expensive than anything else. Generally speaking, when you don't have health insurance, you avoid going to the doctor until it's life threatening. Then you go to the emergency room. Then you owe the big bucks and may have to go bankrupt. I still owe $325 on an asthma attack.