According to an article in the Dallas Morning News, even if you have medical insurance and go to an “in-network” hospital, you could still end up with a ton of medical debt due to a practice called “balance billing.” In a nutshell, balance billing equals more medical debt for consumers who use “in-network” hospitals who in turn employ “out-of-network” medical staff. The …

Tags: Health insurance Hospital Medicine

The Consumer Law & Policy blog has a very revealing article about a judge in Indiana that took it upon herself to give indigent debtors a choice–”pay up” or “go to jail.”

The blog writer provided the transcript of an exchange between the debtor and the judge:

The Court: “So we’re here today for you to explain what you’re going to do to pay this off.”

Mr. Button: …

Comment by sharon: … choice treatment medicine and food she had no luxuries …

… Dr. Craig E. Pollack, who conducted the research while at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said in a news release.”

These numbers are disturbing.  There was already anecdotal evidence that foreclosure along with other financial stressors such as high credit card debt could cause adverse health affects; but this study offers us a rare glimpse at the situation in numbers. Unfortunately, those numbers are probably just the tip of the iceberg. In cities such as Dallas- Fort …

… her credit card when she runs out of money at the end of the month. “I use it to buy food and medicine,” the Fort Worth woman says. Then she repays the bill in full when it arrives. But that didn’t stop the issuer of her Visa card from kicking up a 4 percent introductory interest rate to 10.75 percent.

Ron Henry of Granbury uses his credit cards to help pay bills as he struggles to beat leukemia. “We run up large medical bills, and we pay the minimum each month,” he says. …

… more physical exams this year compared to the same time last year. Dr. Suba Narayanan, an internal medicine doctor, said the economy has affected the practice in a major way. “We are also seeing more patients self-pay. When people pay the full amount for their care, it limits how much they want — or can afford — to spend. It also affects our decision-making, because sometimes we recommend tests that they can’t afford at that time…Medical school never prepares you for this, but …

… plans and more than half face difficulty paying for basic necessities such as food, gas and medicine. As the cost of these basic needs rise many more Americans will be facing financial hardship in their golden years if they don’t have properly funded retirement savings.

The recent loss in retirement account value has fueled the debate on whether it is fair to shift the risk and responsibility of retirement totally to employees, who often have little or know understanding of …

… Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy, says skyrocketing fuel prices are stealing people’s food and medicine money because they are faced with having to make an awfully difficult choice: Do I feed my family or buy medicine, or do I pay for gas I need to go to work?

Ultimately, if soaring gas prices are going to force bankruptcy filings, Allmand hopes it happens quickly, and sooner rather than later. Is it to promote his own pecuniary gain as a bankruptcy attorney ? Allmand says no. “When …