Posted on 09/23/2019 10:37:05 AM PDT by buckalfa
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has released a plan to eliminate $81 billion in past-due medical debt and use bankruptcy courts to process other existing and future medical debt.
Four things to know:
1. The plan calls for the federal government to negotiate and pay off past-due medical bills in collections that have been reported to credit agencies.
2. The campaign chose $81 billion based on a 2018 Health Affairs study. Researchers found one in six Americans have past-due medical bills on their credit report totaling $81 billion. Fifty-three percent of those bills amount to less than $600 each.
3. The Vermont senator's plan also calls for the end of "abusive and harassing debt collection practices" and instructs the IRS to review the billing and collection practices of nonprofit hospitals to ensure they meet the charitable care standards for tax-exempt status.
4. Mr. Sanders also wants to reform the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to use the existing bankruptcy court system to provide relief for those with medical debt. His plan would also remove and exclude medical debt from existing credit reports.
Let me get this straight, we are going to use the federal coffers to enrich BILL COLLECTORS???
Does it include dental? (a friend wants to know. )
Gotta say, I think he has a point on #3.
I’m getting sort of sick and tired of UMPC acting like a nonprofit charity at tax time and like a hard-driving Fortune 500 corporation at all others.
You can’t have it both ways.
Perhaps the EMTALA should be replaced by draws on a patient’s/parents’ Social Security accounts at the Medicare rate.
The caregiver would get paid at the Medicare rate, upon their request and not otherwise, and the patient or the parents would lose the corresponding amount of Social Security benefits upfront if not currently drawing, or over ten years if drawing SS benefits.
We need to check the ever expanding gravy train of “free” stuff and services.
And I don’t want any government to negotiate drug prices or public employee health benefits. Find a fair underlying basis of payment and that’s the amount. We need to be a nation of laws.
“The plan calls for the federal government to negotiate and pay off past-due medical bills in collections that have been reported to credit agencies. “
Oh....so the Feds have money of their own?
“His plan would also remove and exclude medical debt from existing credit reports.”
One could argue the credit reporting companies are protected by Amendment I at the federal law level.
The governments needs to stop giving special privileges to the educational and medical communities.
Medical and educational services are worth what people can and will pay for them, and no more.
Prescription drugs are worth what people can and will pay for them, and no more.
It costs something like $750 to file bankruptcy.
Pay the medical bills or pay $750.
At $15/hour, that $750 is about two weeks pay after deductions.
Do federal courts take installments on that $750?
This is already done at the state level.
I lived in Michigan and state law there barred medical service providers from turning you over to collections.
Pass Tort Reform and you’ll see prices plummet.If you want to know why drugs cost so much, look at all the suits against the manufacturers.
I’m from the Government, and I’m here to eliminate your debt.
Sanders will raise my taxes to pay off any outstanding medical bills. Why doesn’t he just leave me to worry about how I pay my bills?
Sanders and his fellow Leftists sure have deep pockets.
I should know. Their in my clothing.
I never got my promised obamy phone or free housing. I’m looking for my reimbursement check for pay for college. I’ll be looking for my reimbursement for $$$$$ on medical expenses which is probably in the box with that phone.
UPMC sent their bills to a bad address. I called them after they sent me to collections. They gladly took my new address but refused to send it new billing. They said “
can’t” and I just have to take their word for it or they’ll sue me.
The sent me to collections and I disputed the debt explaining that I never received a bill for it and until I receive a bill I’m not paying anything and BEGGED them to sue me. The entire debt is invalid u til they can provide proof that the debt exists.
The debt has disappeared from my credit reports.
So that’s how you can stick it to UPMC (medical system in Pittsburgh, PA.). They’re so lazy they’d rather pass on collections than send out a bill that I asked them for!!
The government doesn’t pay for anything. American citizens do!
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