The hospital bills didn’t find her, but a lawsuit did — plus interest – Gist It

The hospital bills didn’t find her, but a lawsuit did — plus interest

A Tennessee woman was sued for unpaid medical bills, which had not reached her due to unstable living circumstances.

The patient: Bethany Birch, who had an emergency gallbladder removal in 2016, was uninsured at the time and later faced housing instability making it difficult to receive bills.

Total bill: $11,749.60 plus interest for her hospital visits and lawsuit court costs, ballooning her medical debt.

What gives: Hospitals are required to make “reasonable efforts” to inform patients about financial assistance policies before suing, but the Affordable Care Act does not account for individual circumstances.

The resolution: After years of paying toward her medical debt, a patient advocate helped Birch settle her debt for an additional $500, closing the account after a total payment of around $5,770.

View original article on NPR

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June 27, 2023

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