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News Articles: health care debt

Kayce Atencio, who had a heart attack when he was 19, was unable to rent an apartment for years because of bad credit attributed in part to thousands of dollars of medical debt. "It always felt like I just couldn't get a leg up," says Atencio, one of millions of Americans whose access to housing is threatened by medical debt.

Medical debt nearly pushed this family into homelessness. Millions more are at risk

Saddled with debt from health care, many Americans are forced into painful tradeoffs. And some are losing their homes.

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By:
  • Noam Levey
An investigation of more than 500 U.S. hospitals show that many use aggressive practices to collect on unpaid medical bills. More than two-thirds have policies that allow them to sue patients or take other legal actions against them, such as garnishing wages.This includes high-profile medical centers such as the Mayo Clinic.

Investigation: Many U.S. hospitals sue patients for debts or threaten their credit

An examination of billing policies and practices at more than 500 hospitals across the country shows widespread reliance on aggressive collection tactics.

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By:
  • Noam Levey