No elderly person should EVER lose their house over medical bills

[Go2Peace]

But that is happening right now, and will continue to happen because none of the new legislation deals with it.

How in the world can we as a society not have protections in place for this? I understand if someone cannot pay their mortgage, they don't actually own the house. But to make any of our eldely sell the roof over their head (primary home) to pay for medical bills is just evil.

There should be nationwide law that allows anyone basically over 50 to keep their home. By that age most are too old and don't have much hope to rebuild their life.

[Vincardog]

1. There should be Universal Single payer. NO ONE should lose their home over medical bills

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Amen!

Shame on this stupid fucking country for fighting against the one real solution just to maintain their myth about bootstraps.

[Recursion]

15. Medicaid is single payer. And it makes you sell your house

At least in some states; in others it recoups costs from your estate after you pass away.

[Go2Peace]

22. And either of those terms is a substitute for humane policy

[Romulox]

2. No more so than a child. nt

[Go2Peace]

10. I don't disagree, but am willing to concede that at least the young can rebuild

But ultimately you are right. And I would be surprised to find out that *any* country allows this other than ours.

[AnneD]

3. My mom and dad...

may be heading into this abyss. The Rat Bastards at Humana are refusing to pay what they owe (my parents fell for their line instead of straight medicare). Mom is rapidly losing her fondness for the GOP (she lives in Az):eyes:

I warned her but I was 'the nut job'. We don't talk politics anymore.

[CrispyQ]

4. We are a harsh & punitive society.

Even when something happens that is not your fault, if it lands you in the poor house, you are a loser & not worthy of compassion, much less help.

[Go2Peace]

23. I am seeing that more and more. You would think a nation with so many "Christians"

would be less Darwinian in their ideology....

[earth mom]

6. Shame on the government for allowing it to happen in the first place.

:grr:

[newscott]

7. Republicans look at it like this.

Do your job and die in a timely fashion. That way your kids won't have to pay an estate tax. Otherwise, you're on your own.

[DirkGently]

8. We have no shame, apparently. (nt)

[CountAllVotes]

9. losing your home is part of the plan

You work your whole life and finally end up with a home if you are fortunate. The home is paid for after many years and then you get sick or your SO gets sick. The money is all gone quickly and Medicare is not enough. You can't pay all of the outstanding bills that Medicare does not cover.

You then find yourself in a nursing home after they sell off your home and assets and declare you incompetent.

There are many people that end up in nursing homes exactly for this reason. :(

This is an outrage and it makes me sick! :puke:

:kick:

[glinda]

27. I am currently attempting to prevent this with my parents.

[virgogal]

11. That's why my condo is in a trust.

[Go2Peace]

21. In trust to relatives? How does that work?

Is it an irrevocable trust then? I just read that may protect you if it is in trust 60 months (5 years) before any situation like medical bancruptcy.

[virgogal]

26. Yes,there is a five year look-back period. I also have lifetime

occupancy.

My kids are the trustees.

[closeupready]

12. Obama and Biden both promised to change bankruptcy laws to help broke homeowners keep their homes.

>>July 8, 2008

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wants to implement reforms to bankruptcy law in order to make the process smoother for military families and disaster victims, and to help homeowners filing for bankruptcy keep their homes.

"I'll reform our bankruptcy laws to give Americans who find themselves trapped in debt a second chance," the Illinois senator told a crowd of 2,700 in Powder Springs, Georgia.
------------------------
Obama said the "fast track" process would also eliminate "unnecessary paperwork" and the mandatory credit counseling requirement passed as part of the new laws.

The candidate also said that seniors filing for bankruptcy would get a minimum federal homestead exemption that would give them a better chance to keep their homes, and would streamline the filing process for victims of a natural disaster.<<

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/obama_bankruptcy.html

Of course, this proposal has gone absolutely nowhere. And WILL go nowhere.

[Go2Peace]

20. "Minimum" homestead exemptions are already in most states, but they are insignificant

Many states will allow you to keep $20k to 30k in equity. But that really doesn't do much at all. So a minimum federal homestead wouldn't help any more. Basically, homes need to be off limits with minimal exceptions.

We just plain need to be more humane to our citizens who are at risk.

This one though would be sooooo doggone easy to impliment, just a change to bankruptcy law. So it is odd that it has never happened.

[ixion]

13. No one should be able to lose their house over debt. Period.

in my opinion.

[Recursion]

17. Any debt at all?

Why would people pay their mortgages in that scenario?

[jannyk]

14. Correction: NOBODY should EVER lose their house over medical bills

Are you saying if you're not elderly then it is acceptable? In no other 'developed' country would this even be considered 'acceptable'.

[Recursion]

16. Well, why not?

Why is home ownership some God-given right? Why shouldn't someone put paying for their health care above owning a home?

[Gabi Hayes]

28. shouldn't you be out getting into a drunken fencing brawl, or something

equally constructive?

using your brain certainly doesn't seem to be working too well for you

[pitohui]

18. what others said: NO ONE should lose their home over medical bills

i've known people seriously ill or injured in their 20s, their lives never got rebuilt either

medical expenses are all devouring and they start anew w. new deductibles every year, yet the sick/injured person can't work as many hours

you can't ever get back to what you were, you're screwed

[demigoddess]

19. universal health care is the only solution

how can you plan unless you can pay into a health insurance that will actually pay. Insurance companies can decide not to pay at any time and leave you hanging. Also it would help if they would get rid of home equity loans and reverse mortgages that get so many people into a hole they can't get out of.

[area51]

24. Medical bankruptcies are unheard of in actual first-world countries.

Each day, 273 people die due to lack of health care in the U.S.; that's 100,000 deaths per year.

We need single-payer health care, not a welfare bailout for the serial-killer insurance agencies.

We don't need the GingrichCare of mandated, unregulated, for-profit insurance that is still too expensive, only pays parts of medical bills, denies claims, bankrupts and kills people.

Republinazi '93 plan with mandate:

"Subtitle F: Universal Coverage - Requires each citizen or lawful permanent resident to be covered under a qualified health plan or equivalent health care program by January 1, 2005."

"We will never have real reform until people's health stops being treated as a financial opportunity for corporations."

"Any proposal that sticks with our current dependence on for-profit private insurers ... will not be sustainable. And the new law will not get us to universal coverage ...." -- T.R. Reid, The Healing of America

[InkAddict]

25. LOL, what home...but it sure will effect ability to pay the rent to

that unnamed rich bugger with thousands of properties in several states...course, when they steal away the SS, what the H will be the difference...