General Discussion

NNN0LHI

(67,190 posts)

45. Hi Laura

Sat Apr 21, 2012, 05:10 PM

Apr 2012

You seem to know quite a bit about hospital billing practices and I was wondering about something.

Back during the 80's our insurance ran out during one of my many layoffs and our daughter had to be admitted. I didn't have the money to pay for it. The bill was was in the thousands. So I went into the billing office and offered to pay $5 per month(All I could afford), until I was recalled to my job and got back on my feet again, and the hospital agreed to that. I paid that $5 bucks every month like clockwork for about a year and when I got back to work paid the entire bill off ASAP. They didn't send me to a collection agency or even charge me any interest.

Do you know if hospitals still provide or offer any deferred low payment program like I just described?

And that was kind of normal back then as I recall. Nothing unique about it.

Don

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Jailed for $280: The return of debtors' prisons [View all] myrna minx Apr 2012 OP

k&r Liberal_in_LA Apr 2012 #1

WTH! This is unreal. k&r Little Star Apr 2012 #2

"Under the law, debtors aren't arrested for nonpayment,..." dixiegrrrrl Apr 2012 #18

As if there's a difference saras Apr 2012 #22

That's a good thing to remember - even regular token payments can avoid almost all problems bhikkhu Apr 2012 #31

Such small payments extend any stature of limitation happyslug Apr 2012 #38

Good point - I forgot about that bhikkhu Apr 2012 #48

Which is really just an end around the fact that you arent supposed to be thrown in jail for owing stevenleser Apr 2012 #36

Damn straight it's "unreal" earth trine Apr 2012 #34

It will happen here. In fact, it already has. K&R n/t Egalitarian Thug Apr 2012 #3

Simple solution. She could just hire an expensive lawyer (like the wealthy do, .... BlueJazz Apr 2012 #4

As someone who personally clawed her way out of debt, I cannot believe this is what we've become myrna minx Apr 2012 #5

Believe it. This is indeed who we have become. closeupready Apr 2012 #8

I hate this mother fucking hell hole of a country more and more each day! If things get worse I Justice wanted Apr 2012 #6

not all states treat their citizens this way cali Apr 2012 #11

Neither does Pennsylvania, we abolished arrest for debt in 1820. happyslug Apr 2012 #39

Post removed Post removed Apr 2012 #14

those freedoms are gone forever bub. Get used to it. provis99 Apr 2012 #17

Feel free to leave anytime. greytdemocrat Apr 2012 #43

Just plain mean. And stupid. McCamy Taylor Apr 2012 #7

State legislatures in the nineteen thirties had the actual cajones truedelphi Apr 2012 #9

We're all being pissed on by kochs. It's trickle down. xtraxritical Apr 2012 #44

Their crimes: They didn't steal a billion dollars for themselves and SDjack Apr 2012 #10

remember ... ... bayareaboy Apr 2012 #33

I could see this coming back in 2005. BlueIris Apr 2012 #12

If she had stolen $280 Million............. Smilo Apr 2012 #13

Or as Thoreau said in "Civil Disobedience" starroute Apr 2012 #37

Who passed the laws? Who wrote the laws? n/t tooeyeten Apr 2012 #15

the ALEC brainwashed passed them; ALEC wrote them SemperEadem Apr 2012 #26

they're the tooeyeten Apr 2012 #46

USA! USA! USA! sarcasmo Apr 2012 #16

I guess some debt collector called in the police DaveJ Apr 2012 #19

This is what happens when corporations take over... Jake2413 Apr 2012 #20

This injustice has an Alec Private Prison response all over it. midnight Apr 2012 #21

I live in Georgia and owed thousands in credit card bills. RebelOne Apr 2012 #23

That is unbelievable! nt Honeycombe8 Apr 2012 #24

I don't know the particulars of this case. . . daligirl519 Apr 2012 #25

But for debtor's prison to be truly effective like in Dubai, fasttense Apr 2012 #27

Meanwhile, Dubai changed its laws when the government and associated entities defaulted on its own JCMach1 Apr 2012 #50

Du rec. Nt xchrom Apr 2012 #28

And no subprime swindlers were punished. shimonitanegi Apr 2012 #29

contempt of court.. madrchsod Apr 2012 #30

We have a WINNER!!! You got it exactly right! davsand Apr 2012 #40

Hi Laura NNN0LHI Apr 2012 #45

That was a lot more common in the early to mid 80's. davsand Apr 2012 #47

This is why working class people need to be looking at solutions for legal insurance. napoleon_in_rags Apr 2012 #32

So say a person goes to jail over a debt... 2QT2BSTR8 Apr 2012 #35

I do support actions, and you be surprise how much money comes up after an arrest happyslug Apr 2012 #42

Ah but the prison industry is very eager to expand. truedelphi Apr 2012 #49

And prison labor saves on shipping. n/t upi402 Apr 2012 #51

Dickins' is rolling in his grave right now. n/t vaberella Apr 2012 #41

Contempt of court is not the same thing as failure to pay a bill slackmaster Apr 2012 #52