How do you deal with the guilt?

[CindyLou]

I've been an RN since 1993 and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that in my time and even years before healthcare professionals have NEVER had access to a patients credit rating in the medical chart. The information they have in the chart is the employment status, payment method (insurance, self pay, medicare, etc). It also give the patients address and DOB. A few years back we even stopped printing the social security number due to identity theft. So, based on the info in the chart, they may have come to the conclusion that they patient needed help in paying, but the credit rating was not part of that information. The reason I am wanting to make this point is that I wouldn't want people to think that their credit rating is available to the people providing their healthcare. That is a conflict of interest and information that this NOT needed in order to care for a patient. Thank you,

[RBAllis]

Don't feel about about not being able to pay. I believed I could pay my debts but it was unrealistic. My mail was returned to sender, it was tossed into the trash, I was made homeless at one point. By the time I able to establish an address....my debts were out of control. I have spoken with a few people, a law student that lives in the home that I do. He told me not to be feel bad, this happens to good people.