So half of US Bankruptcies are because of MEDICAL BILLS?

[JanMichael]

Universal HEALTHCARE SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE NOW!

Read all about it HERE

"Half of all U.S. bankruptcies are caused by soaring medical bills and most people sent into debt by illness are middle-class workers with health insurance, researchers said on Wednesday."

"Most of the medically bankrupt were average Americans who happened to get sick. Health insurance offered little protection."

"Among those whose illnesses led to bankruptcy, out-of-pocket costs averaged $11,854 since the start of illness; 75.7 percent had insurance at the onset of illness."

Any questions?

EDIT: SINGLE PAYER not another halfassed scheme to subsidize the insurance VULTURES.

[SHRED]

1. Wrong!

Everyone knows SSI is the real crisis...just ask the pResident.

:crazy:

[JanMichael]

7. Lies, lies and more lies.

And some more lies.

[murray hill farm]

2. Do you know what bills are wiped out by bankruptcy?

Is the mortgage wiped out? Credit card debt? are medical bills included?

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. I know that student loans are not wiped out. Not sure about

med bills. We didn't have any at the time we declared.

[sandnsea]

16. not the mortgage

I think you choose not to include your mortgage in the bankruptcy. Student loans, child support, and probably fines and taxes can't be included. Medical bills and credit cards can. But they've changed the law and there has to be some income/debt ratio met now.

[StuckinBFE]

3. Thats scary

My dad just got sick over a year ago with bladder cancer. I know my dads hospital bill alone was +$25k luckily his insurance was good and he had already his paid his max copay for the year. It sucks that the insurance companies are screwing both the patients and the doctors.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi StuckinBFE!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Cleita]

4. Thanks for the article. I collect information like this.

Dr. Steffie Woolhandler is a longtime advocate of single payer universal health care.

[KT2000]

5. Kick!

this story needs to be seen by everyone.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. They were discussing this on AAR this morning.

[Coastie for Truth]

8. Anecdotally, this has been common knowledge

among bankruptcy lawyers, elder law lawyers, and hospital administrators for years --- no statistics, just a "gut feeling."

[JanMichael]

9. kick

:kick:

[Telly Savalas]

10. This makes me so fucking mad.

Kick

[JanMichael]

11. I wonder why it tok so long for someone to examine court records?

This, as another post suggested, has been believed by the medical/legal field for ages.

[Telly Savalas]

14. Kick again.

Democratic talking heads everywhere should be getting the word out about the results of this study.

The moral poverty of the GOP's health care policies must be exposed.

[JanMichael]

15. Thanks. I'm surprised that this hasn't been used.

Then again, it shouldn't be a shock...