It is debtors
It is debtors prison revisited – debtors prison was made illegal in the U.S. in the 19th century. It is basically a method of extreme harassment to coerce payment from the debtor. Typically it results in lost wages for the debtor, extreme hardship as many have children, etc…
Many of these hospitals have also resorted to zombie debt collecting – trying to collect on debts that are un-collectable (debtor passed away, over 10-30 years old and non-enforcable, etc…) Several hospitals have been using these tactics to threaten and coerce surviving spouses into taking on old debt. Some have even been caught trying to collect on debts expunged in bankruptcy.
The worst part is how these hospitals and doctors determine what the actual amount of the debt is. Medicare and insurance have set prices that they must agree to.
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