whether it's a clusterf**k depends on point of view. like all systems with significant government intervention and control, it results in massive wealth transfer from the US citizen. but it's good for the transferees. and there are many levels of them, each skimming off a piece. the fundamental problem is that its a perfect good to manipulate -- your health is almost totally price inelastic. "money or your life" is not a tough choice, most people will pay anything they ask. and most consumers are completely ignorant of the product, with limited or no ability to comparison shop and at the mercy of the supplier. add in govt. manipulation: artificial supply reduction through licensing and accreditation, subsidies, laws and regs favoring the insurance and pharma industries, research grants, drug trade controls and patents, etc. and yes, it's a huge clusterf**k -- for the US patient anyway.
Out of curiosity, if you have medical debts, can the doctor or hospital garnish your wages or have your assets seized without going to court or would they have to take you to court first and get a judgment against you?
Must unpaid medical bills from a person that dies be paid before the heirs get the remainder of their inheritance?
Only if the medical concern makes a claim on the estate before the estate is settled. Otherwise they cannot collect.
How would a medical concern know if their patient has died? So I assume if one has say, for example, $500,000 in outstanding bills, and dies, and the medical concern doesn't find out until after the estate is settled, the heirs are in the clear and won't have to pay the outstanding bill and the hospital/doctors just take a hit?
Yep, they take the hit. It does take awhile to settle an estate though so they have a reasonable amount of time. If the bill was received before the person dies, or before the estate is settled then it is a legitimate claim against the estate. Normally what happens is a lawyer will call the claimant and let them know that there is no way they will receive all the money, and he will make them an offer that the claimant will end up taking.
Thanks. If you have medical debts, can the doctor or hospital garnish your wages or have your assets seized without going to court or would they have to take you to court first and get a judgment against you?
Does anyone know if a doctor, hospital, or collection agency can take your house away and money and investments that you have in your bank and/or brokerage accounts for unpaid bills? I assume they would have to take you to court first? This is assuming that you have no insurance and can't qualify for Medicaid.
Always negotiate your ass off with the medical billing service of the provider or the facility BEFORE it gets to collections. You may end up paying as little as 10 cents on the dollar. It's amazing really. Your question sounds like a line from what a collections phone slap might try to threaten you with. If so, tell him to go fcuk himself. However, if it's already in collections then they will ding your credit.