Being pushed further into debt because of health problems can be one of the most hopeless situations to be in. Mounting medical bills are often accompanied by a loss of pay due to the inability to work. While many people blame the economy in Tennessee, health care and doctor’s fees, there are several facts that are not well-known.
First, it is important for doctors and lawmakers to realize that part of the problem is available insurance plans. Since many people cannot afford a plan with a low deductible, a catastrophic plan is often chosen. Becker’s Hospital Review states that people with higher deductible plans are 10 percent more likely to experience difficulty paying medical bills than those with more traditional plans.
Another contributing factor is care given out of a patient’s network of coverage. 32 percent of those struggling with debt stated that they fell into this category. Another 26 percent found that claims that they expected to be covered were denied.
Member of the armed forces were also shown to struggle with paying medical bills. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stated that a large portion of the complaints they received from servicemembers concerned medical debt. The majority of these complaints were from veterans.
Another factor in medical debt is medical identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission reports that this can happen when someone uses another person’s information to receive treatment under a false identity. If this happens, the person should be allowed to amend the mistake on their record and remove any negative notes.
