re: Medical Debt Should Not Ever Be Used to Harm Credit Worthiness

quote:

---

Absolutely hilarious the morons on here have issue with PSLF student loans being forgiven, but if a fat frick that doesn't take care himself has a heart attack or stroke that could have been prevented by simple exercise, they shouldn't have to pay back the thousands in medical bills they racked up from gross negligence

---

I don't disagree with your general point—and Americans do cause many of the serious health problems they end up dealing with by lifestyle choices, I'm not denying that.

But that's not the reason they should pay the money back.

They should pay it back simply because someone provided the care. They received a service and they need to exchange value by paying for the service they received, whether they needed that service due to their own negligence or not.

In other words, the reason a patient needed the intervention is irrelevant. If they got it, they need to pay for it.

I also agree with what others have said about negotiating down. Again, the system—because we're so committed to 3rd party pay for even routine care—is designed for an insurance company to pay a bill, not for an actual patient to pay a bill. It's perfectly fine IMO for a patient to negotiate a bill down that was conceptualized for another entity (who actually dictates what the going rate will be) to pay, as the entire financial system was never designed to set prices for individuals.

But whatever comes out of that negotiation, you should pay regardless of whether you ate yourself into a heart attack or whether you were walking down the street minding your own business and got shot in a drive-by.

It doesn't change what it costs the hospital to treat you whether you're there because you put yourself there or someone else did.

Stuff happens. This idea that we don't have to be responsible for things that happen to us just because they aren't our fault is asinine. Tell it to the plumber the next time you need him to replace your water heater that was supposed to last 15 years but only lasted 10.

He'll tell you "No pay, no bathe."

quote:

---

We are literally the reason they are able to do what they do with any kind of comparable outcomes.

---

quote:

---

They should pay it back simply because someone provided the care. They received a service and they need to exchange value by paying for the service they received, whether they needed that service due to their own negligence or not.

---

Its always amazed me. People that would never think of walking out in restaurant bill, or shoplift have no hesitation not paying their medical providers.

I can not pay my water bill, power bill, rent, etc. and it won’t harm my credit. But hospitals and doctors, you better pay up.
Medical bills are not loans, they are payments for services.

Get good insurance...my wife's recent hospital stay came in a whopping 702k, insurance paid 143k and we paid our copay and deductible. Everyone is happy

quote:

---

There is no such thing as cancelling a debt. Someone is getting screwed.

---

Large corporations cancel debt all the time to reduce tax liabilities and improve balance sheets

quote:

---

Medical Debt Should Not Ever Be Used to Harm Credit Worthiness

---

One of the greatest features of the USA healthcare system is that you can get literally any medical procedures completed and, if you can't pay, the worst that will happen to you is that you have to file for bankruptcy and take a credit hit that doesn't even really preclude you from doing anything you want to do.

You can have medical debt removed from your credit report yourself. You just have to read up on what to do. Alot of these people that "fix your credit" get paid to do stuff you can do yourself. You just have to find the forms and find who to file them with. Also like the above post. Medical debt doesn't incur interest, you can set up a small payment plan and just pay it but if you have stuff showing late or default you can remove it yourself.

I mean I think a lender should use whatever data they point they want when risking their money

I usually would be all for paying your debts. But to be fair the medical billing system is shite. You have to be a Rhodes scholar to marry up all the different bills for a routine hospital stay.