What do you all think of a law to prevent Med Collections from showing for 1 year.

[Anonymous]

This would give people 1 year to repay debt in hospital situations when there were out of work. They could file a request under this law to remove any collections that were medical related which caused loss of work or hospital stays. If the person paid this debt off or was making ongoing payments before 1 year it will never show on their CR.

It's not fair in some cases landing you in the hospital and loosing work, not able to repay so quickly. It's just not fair and does not make someone a bad credit risk. Give people a chance to make right. If not hospitalized or other medical reasons they would be able to pay this med bill. It's not like they bought a TV and DVD entertainment center because they were not responsible.

So I say we need a BILL that states a 1 year hold on Medical Collections. Or at least have FICO ignore them for the first 1 year from the date they appeared. I don't think a medical collection should destroy a persons credit if they did not have a chance to pay it back due to out of work losses resulting from a hospital stay. I further state that this law should force CAs to remove the Collection after Paid.

This is for Medical collections and Medical Bills only. I heard a similar thing being discussed on the political debates for pres 2008. I liked it. Keeping this neutral I won't specify which side left/right that was discussing this topic.

[Anonymous]

Universal healthcare would be a better option...

[Anonymous]

Medical collections should not be allowed on consumer credit reports at all.  Inability to pay medical bills are not a reflection of a consumer's credit worthiness or how they handle other debt such as credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, etc... 

Just one medical emergency can run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses.  I did that just last year, over $600,000!  I was fortunate to have excellent medical coverage.  I only had to pay about $8k out of pocket which I was able to pay.  I certainly don't expect the average citizen to have the kind of coverage I did.

Let get real and stop bankrupting people because they got sick or had an accident.

Only in America do we destroy citizens' credit worthiness due to huge medical bills and allow illegals to get it all for free. 

[Anonymous]

There is talk about a new FICO score for medical bills prediction.  I will remain silen ton my thoughts on this. It has been proven that medical collections are not an accurate determining factor in the ability or willingness to repay debt. Go to an emergency room and see how many bills from how many different places you get. It can be easy to overlook one or get dinged for an insurance slow pay.

[Anonymous]

I like the idea, because medical bills are one of the few bills we don't have a choice about! If we get hurt or sick, we can't do anything other than get it taken care of (or not, and be disabled or die). I also find it fascinating that in our society we can "finance" the most useless things on the planet but not medical or dental care (unless you use plastic). The only time we ever get to carry a balance on our healthcare in most cases is in the event of catastrophic illness or injury and at that point we are usually forced to use grossly over-billed emergency services anyway. It's disgusting.

[Anonymous]

OK here are some of the reasons I DON'T like it.  Why in the world dod hospitals need a FICO for treatment?  If you can't afford it does that mean you die?  Most probably yes.  There are many out there who neither have credit nor insurance so I am sure that their scores will abso-freaking-lootly SUCK!  What do they tell that mother in the ER with a sick or asthmatic kid who has no choice but to be there?  Sorry unless you can pay at the register you're outta luck?

Medical care and ability to pay should never go hand in hand.  Only Federally funded hospitals must provide care regardless of the patient's ability to pay.  How many more peoplemust be shuffled from place to place seeking low-income or uninsured care because of a credit score for medical bills.  many people don't reallize how large the population of uninsured children is in the country. I would hate to read more death in the emergency room horror stories or people being denied needed admission based on a credit score that should have nothing to do with the hippocratic oath. ' First do no harm.'  Nowhere does it say do nothing.

[fused]

It quite clear to me that I am in the minority on this subject. As far as I'm concerned, medical bills, debts and collections are not and should not be treated any differently that any other bills, debts or collections. I work in healthcare, and I have to say a great majority of med collections are avoidable. As for a scoring system, this would never apply in emergency situations...this would clearly break the law. It's my feeling that any scoring system utilized in healthcare would be for the sole purpose of elective procedures and out patient wellness exams and doctor's visits.

[Anonymous]

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fused wrote:

It quite clear to me that I am in the minority on this subject. As far as I'm concerned, medical bills, debts and collections are not and should not be treated any differently that any other bills, debts or collections. I work in healthcare, and I have to say a great majority of med collections are avoidable. As for a scoring system, this would never apply in emergency situations...this would clearly break the law. It's my feeling that any scoring system utilized in healthcare would be for the sole purpose of elective procedures and out patient wellness exams and doctor's visits.

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Sorry provately funded hospitals are not required to render aid without the ability to pay only publicly funded ones.  As far as the score being used for wellness and elective surgery?  Usually those wellness visits are paid for by insurance and thosewho have none skip the festivities.  Elective surgery, I guess so, if your doctor is setting up a payment plan.  I have a hard time believing that that tummy tuck we speak of won't be paid for.  Most people who have surgeries such as this, already have plans to pay for it.

Theo nly people this would affect would be those who have or who have had in the past problems paying medical bills.

[fused]

Wellness exams and office visits are not 100% covered by insurance in my locale (except for some of the HMO plans), there is a co-pay. I'm not disputing with any posters that medical bills can be astronomical...I know this because I work for a specialist who does very invasive, life saving surgeries on both an elective and trauma basis. What needs to be discussed more in these forums is how to avoid trouble with hospitals and doctors, and not just ways to get the crude removed from our reports and avoid paying what is owed. I pose the this question...when you or someone who signed as your guarantor first discovered money was owed to a hospital or doctor, what actions did you take? Mostly what I read in the forums is a poster's mess well after the fact. We need to be more proactive and not runaway and hide and think it's going to disappear then only months or years later bash the very people, the doctors and hospitals who cured us, repaired our injury or even saved our life.

[Anonymous]

OK this is not about willingnes to pay IMHO.  It is about medical care being denied to people and their children because of inability to pay.  Many people assume that if you don't have health coverage, you ca qualify for some program or another.  That gap is so wide that countless people fall through everyday.  Most of these are low to middle income FAMILIES not deadbeats who just don't want to pay their bills.  So if you are dilligently paying down a hospital bill and you were unable to pay upfront and your medical score reflects that, what stops the hospital from doing nothing more than stabilizing you and the care stops there.  Yes they often reccommend that you follow up with your doctor in the a.m.  knowing that there are tests that need to be run and other things that need to be done knowing full well that if you don't have insurance you more than likely don't have a primary care physician either.  All a load of hooey if you ask me.

I agree with the pp about universal health care.  It works in a many other countries why not this one. No one is saying doctors should not get their fair share, onyl if that share IS fair.  Never heard of a 35.00 aspirin anywhere else.

As fair as welness vivists.  I know my physician requires whatever payment is due when services are rendered and that is the same everywhere else I have every been.  Whether that be co-pay or deductible.  this is not the type of service that will be effected.  What will happen is that people with limited access to health care already will go from limited to none.