Senate Finance Staff Recommends FDCPA for Hospitals

[Enigma]

"The report includes a call for comment on which debt collection practices should be altogether banned when going after medical debt, and suggests that such practices as wage garnishing, bank account seizure, and placing liens on homes are on the table for explicit banning. "

[rubyruby27]

It so it should be with the state of health care today.

[spinn]

I really think there is something wrong with something when you can lose your home, or have wages or bank accounts garnished when you get sick.

Most of the DRs that are around me now work four day weeks and dont see patients after 3 pm. I had one DR give me a $450 estimate for a visit that I didnt have insurance for....then charge me $1300. If a mechanic does that they get sued and or arrested, a DR gets a vacation...go figure.

[jlynn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma "The report includes a call for comment on which debt collection practices should be altogether banned when going after medical debt, and suggests that such practices as wage garnishing, bank account seizure, and placing liens on homes are on the table for explicit banning. "

Dr. E is going to be without a job.

[Enigma]

We have a local tax supported hospital, that is their own taxing authority no less, that files an average 150-200 lawsuits a month. From my understanding 99% result in default judgments. I also understand that 99.5 percent of the suits are on the indigent.

A local consumer group studied the lawsuits, the median income of the defendants was less than $12,000 and most of those were already on public assistance.

The vast majority of those individuals were "judgment proof" in the eyes of Florida law. The lawsuits were a waste of taxpayer money. The hospital used to have a staff of 15 lawyers and 100 support personnel After the article, the staff was trimed to three lawyers and ten support..

[spinn]

If DRs were only allowed to sue if they cured one person a year that would eliminate 80% of all suits and 100% of suits by Psychiatrists and Endocrinologists.

My next door neighbor growing up was a psychiatrist and there were always men in white suits chasing his children around with butterfly nets.

If a shrink cant raise kids how can he cure an adult?

[drivel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlynn Dr. E is going to be without a job.

Enigma, that hospital simply likes to throw money away and if people actually read the report, they would see that it would not eliminate the medical collections industry. Your local hospital will just be farming out thier work from now on. Also the way this guy wrote this article, he should be writing headlines for the National Enquirer.

I'll save you folks the trouble: the report does not call for an outright banning of these practices, only those who are uninsured, underinsured and medically indigent. And since we want to encourage those who can to buy insurance, I assure you if this were to pass, all patients would have to submit detailed financial information in order to be exempt from collection.

My guess is that the fed's will leave this up to the states to handle. We already have this law in place in NY requiring charity care for those who fall into the income/asset limits of the Fed. poverty level. If these people are filtered out prior to collection, agencies will be more efficient and profitable as they won't have to waste time and resources on collecting from the uncollectable.

The only hiccup is it will require people to actually do paperwork, substantiate income, etc. Unfortunately a high percentage of the indigent seem too busy to do this.

I assure you all that this type of legislation would do is filter out a few of the indigents and in the immortal words of Celine Dion, the medical collection industry will go on.

Also I regret to inform you that this will be the last intelligent and insightful counterpoint that I will be providing on this board. As many of you may know, I was again (wrongly in my opinion), put in time out by Qtip. Those of you on this board should request an explanation of the infraction system before you are in it as the rules seem to change on a whim.

Rest assured, I will be reading your credit repair journeys ,and if the spirit moves me, I will PM those of you who are on the wrong track.

Peace out my little credit warriors.

Your friend drivel

[jlynn]

A doctor told a 16 yr old kid yesterday that the stitches he received looked like a "backwoods stitch job", and that he needed surgery within the next couple of days. Yet this same specialist refused to answer the question, and "what if I don't have this done", and did not even address the area of concern. This kid is scared to death!

He's trying to get a 2nd opinion today from a specialist that I've seen, and whom is refreshingly honest. This doctor fully understands the plight of the uninsured/underinsured, and gives pros and cons before proceeding with any overpriced medical test that have become the expensive norm over the years.

[Lucy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drivel Also I regret to inform you that this will be the last intelligent and insightful counterpoint that I will be providing on this board. As many of you may know, I was again (wrongly in my opinion), put in time out by Qtip. Those of you on this board should request an explanation of the infraction system before you are in it as the rules seem to change on a whim. Rest assured, I will be reading your credit repair journeys ,and if the spirit moves me, I will PM those of you who are on the wrong track. Peace out my little credit warriors. Your friend drivel

Well, Dr E,

I do not know why you were put in a time out this or any time, it doesn't matter either way. I for one get a kick out of your wit and hope that you will chime in time to time whenever the spirit does move you.

Because I also have a weird sense of humor, I have to ask. You said that this is your last insightful and intelligent counterpoint. Can I assume that you will make less insightful and less intelligent counterpoints on this board?