How do medical facilities/doctors respond to being included in BK?

[syd74]

If you include medical debt in your BK, does the medical facility or doctor involved refuse to treat you anymore? We have a variety of medical facilities/services etc. to whom we owe money due to our pathetic health insurance.

Thanks for any insight you can give!

[lillymarlene]

I suppose this would depend on the individual doctor or medical facility. I ended up having to bankrupt while oweing my dentist, and I no longer use this same dentist. The day after I filed (he probably hadn't received his copy of my petition) a collection agency called about him. Unfortunately, I'm still not in the position yet to pay him back, so I've been using a new dentist, that I pay as I go.

[Tater]

I am not sure how this works as we included one hospital in our petition. We have no intention of going back to them. You may want to call a doctor that you regularly use to see what they say.

[AngelinaCat]

Talk with your local health care provider--your family doctor, and talk with him/her, and the financial person if necessary. Explain what you are having to do. Tell them that you wish to remain with them and ask if they will work with you. Often you will be able to work out an arrangement.

In my case, I gave a statement on our letterhead, saying that I was indigent--they needed that for their files, in case they were audited. There are three payment levels--one for Medicare ('Hub is on Medicare, but I am too young); another for those that have insurance coverage; and a third called 'Patient Pay'. This is for people who have no insurance or have insurance that is catastrophic with a very high deductible. The 'Patient Pay' is the lowest scale payment, and I use my Health Savings Account for it.

When we originally set this up, I had no HSA and was on COBRA insurance. As soon as we were able, with the help from a yearly stipend we get from a retirement instrument, we set up the HSA. It has been a life-saver.

Good wishes to you!

[pamkev]

Our lawyer here is Pa told us if we liked the Dr we go to pay them as they can refuse to see us if we included them in BK. The hospital part was a different story as long as it was not a for profit hospital and it was a state hospital to included them as they can not refuse treatment.

Pam

[AngelinaCat]

A for-profit hospital can turn you down if you cannot pay the co-pay or the deductible. We had that happen in 2009 when 'Hub developed a hernia. He was scheduled to see a surgeon. We could not meet the deductible, and he was turned down. The doctor told us to schedule an appointment with the 'charity' hospital in another city. We were so humiliated.

When 'Hub reported this to our family doctor, he was told: "well wait until you are 65 and on Medicare. They have to take you then."

This was before we set up the HSA. Even though, it is mine, 'Hub, as my spouse, can use it also for co-pays, etc.

[syd74]

Thank you all. We will pay the ones we think we may have to use again.

[btbeme]

Thank you all. We will pay the ones we think we may have to use again.

Two thumbs up...

...after discharge, of course. No need to create a preference payment situation before filing.