medical debt

Medical Debt From In-Prison Injuries Is Chasing Inmates After Release

5:44pm May 27, 2019

by Jimmy Jenkins

In Arizona, prisoners are being charged for medical procedures the state is supposed to pay for. The bills can ruin inmates' credit, adding to their challenges when they rejoin society.

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Andrew Ladd and Fumiko Chino at their wedding in 2006, after his cancer diagnosis. Ladd died the following year, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt.

Widowed Early, A Cancer Doctor Writes About The Harm Of Medical Debt

5:47pm August 10, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

A decade after the death of her husband, Fumiko Chino is studying the strain that uncovered medical costs put on cancer patients, even those who have insurance.

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Shannon McGrath, pictured with her son Rayder, says it has been a lot easier to make her medical appointments recently, thanks to help from a "patient navigator" — assigned to her by Kaiser Permanente — who arranged McGrath's transportation.

Your ZIP Code Might Be As Important To Health As Your Genetic Code

3:02pm August 04, 2017

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Health care forms increasingly ask about more than just medical history. That's because doctors are beginning to understand that patients' stress, and how and where they live, influence health, too.

Half of all the debt that appears on credit reports is related to medical expenses, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Credit Agencies To Ease Up On Medical Debt Reporting

7:38am July 11, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

Starting in September, the three main credit agencies will wait 180 days before including medical debt on a credit report, giving consumers time to resolve disputes with insurers.

Medical debt is the most common reason for collection calls, a federal study found.

Medical Debt Is Top Reason Consumers Hear From Collection Agencies

2:45pm January 24, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that 59 percent of people contacted by a debt collector had outstanding medical bills. Telecommunications and utility bills trailed far behind.

Jonathan McHugh/Getty Images/Ikon Images

Medical Debt Rains Pain On Families, Even In the Sunshine State

12:22pm March 17, 2016

by Sammy Mack

More than 30 percent of Floridians report having serious financial problems, compared with 26 percent of adults nationwide. Digging into those poll numbers shows large medical bills can be ruinous.

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Credit ratings agencies have agreed to give consumers more time to settle health debts before adding them to reports.

Credit Agencies Agree To Wait Before Adding Medical Debt To Ratings

8:41am March 16, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Insurers sometimes wrangle with patients and for months before paying a bill. A new six-month waiting period will give consumers time to resolve disputes and avoid having their credit ratings dinged.

Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph, Mo., is changing its name to Mosaic Life Care. It was the focus of an NPR and ProPublica investigation into its billing practices.

Senator 'Astounded' That Nonprofit Hospitals Sue Poorest Patients

3:42pm January 24, 2015

by Chris Arnold

NPR and ProPublica have been reporting about nonprofit hospitals that seize the wages of lower-income patients. Sen. Chuck Grassley says hospitals doing that could be breaking the law.

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Keith Herie is swamped in debt from medical issues he and his wife encountered starting about a decade ago. Heartland hospital is seizing 10 percent of his paycheck and 25 percent of his wife's wages, and has placed a lien on their home.

When Nonprofit Hospitals Sue Their Poorest Patients

10:13am January 22, 2015

by Chris Arnold

In exchange for tax breaks, nonprofit hospitals provide assistance to poor patients. But some hospitals seize wages from poor patients with unpaid bills — even those who qualify for reduced-cost care.

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