By Gail Hillebrand Debt collection is the top complaint we’ve received since September 2013. Out of all debt types, medical collections make up 52 percent of collection accounts on credit reports, far outpacing all other types of debt. Medical collections are so widespread, that an estimated 43 million consumers with an account in collection have […]
When Health Costs Harm Your Credit
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL MARCH 8, 2014 LIKE most people, I am generally vigilant about paying my bills — credit cards, mortgage, cellphone and so on. But medical bills have a different trajectory. I (usually) open the envelopes and peruse the amalgam of codes and charges. I sigh or swear. And set them aside for when […]
A Vulnerable Age: Patients Mired in Costly Credit From Doctors
By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG The dentist set to work, tapping and probing, then put down his tools and delivered the news. His patient, Patricia Gannon, needed a partial denture. The cost: more than $5,700. Ms. Gannon, 78, was staggered. She said she could not afford it. And her insurance would pay only a small portion. But […]
