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Wow. You seem to have some serious problems with reading comprehension.
Not all bills of the uninsured go unpaid - many people use up their life savings in an attempt to pay the bills that they have incurred while being uninsured.
HOWEVER, IF those same people eventually declare bankruptcy and their medical debts are discharged through that bankruptcy, then those debts fall into the category of uncompensated care and are eligible for those federal dollars referenced in Post #51 (as I explained in Post #59).
Perhaps this will make it clearer:
Medical debts => Bankruptcy => Medical debts discharged => Medical debts become "uncompensated care" => Taxpayers foot the bill
You're not a very good researcher, nor do you understand what you actually find. NOTHING you have put forth backs up your words. These are simply YOUR assertions. Just because you say it doesn't make it true. If you expect me to buy into something, I expect you to provide accurate data to back it up. So far, you've done nothing of the sort.
The link you provided discusses Medicaid and the uninsured. It does not back up your claim that bankruptcy-discharged medical debts are picked up by taxpayers. I think you know this, but you're at the end of your rope.
Quote:
Medical debts => Bankruptcy => Medical debts discharged => Medical debts become "uncompensated care" => Taxpayers foot the bill
You made this up. This is NOT supported by your link. Not in the slightest. You're being intellectually dishonest, and you know it.
When she doesn't pay that bill, who do you think it gonna pay for it? That bill is gonna suddenly vanish into thin air?
Businesses absorb costs all the time. Hospitals would be the perfect business to be in if taxpayers absorbed all of its write-offs. The truth is, hospitals absorb unpaid debts on a regular basis.
What I want someone to prove to me is that bankruptcy-discharged medical debts are absorbed by taxpayers. Several people have made the claim, but they haven't backed it up with data or facts. Surely this should be data that's easily attainable if it's the common knowledge it's being made out to be. They made the claim, time to substantiate it.
^^Uncompensated care is absorbed by the taxpayers. I believe I posted some info about that a few posts up.
Your info discusses "charity care" to uninsured low income patients. It doesn't corrobborate the claims made on this thread that bankruptcy-discharged medical debts are paid for by taxpayers. Afterall, bankruptcy does not imply low-income or uninsured.....it merely implies bankruptcy. I'm still waiting for the elusive data to back up the claims made a few on this thread. Me thinks they jumped the gun and made wrong assumptions.
In referencing my own post above, I've added my comment in red to help you to better understand this issue.
This is YOUR interpretation. It is not supported by your link in the slightest.
I don't think you realize that the data you're using is about MEDICAID and the UNINSURED. That's all it's about. It does NOT delve into the world of insured OR uninsured patients declaring bankruptcy. It is merely discussing an uninsured patient showing up at a hospital and receiving uncompensated care. THAT'S IT. Nothing more, nothing less.
Show me the data. Not your misinterpretation.......solid data. If if its so easy, surely you can find more than one data source to back up your claim, right? LOL
At this point, you're being obtuse. I would be too if I were in your position. But i'm all ears....if you can provide evidence of your claim, I will be more than happy to concede the point.
Your info discusses "charity care" to uninsured low income patients. It doesn't corrobborate the claims made on this thread that bankruptcy-discharged medical debts are paid for by taxpayers. Afterall, bankruptcy does not imply low-income or uninsured.....it merely implies bankruptcy. I'm still waiting for the elusive data to back up the claims made a few on this thread. Me thinks they jumped the gun and made wrong assumptions.
I have to say I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what is lacking in your comprehension of this issue. The source I gave references "uncompensated care" which CAN be due to being uninsured, but is more generally "bad debt" that the hospital carries. For a specific definition of "uncompensated care, see this:
"What is Uncompensated Care?
Uncompensated care is an overall measure of hospital care provided for which no payment was received from the patient or insurer. It is the sum of a hospital's "bad debt" and the charity care it provides. Charity care is care for which hospitals never expected to be reimbursed. A hospital incurs bad debt when it cannot obtain reimbursement for care provided; this happens when patients are unable to pay their bills, but do not apply for charity care, or are unwilling to pay their bills."
Source: AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION. UNCOMPENSATED HOSPITAL CARE COST. FACT SHEET. December 2010
Whether a person has insurance or not is irrelevant in the issue of "uncompensated care." It is simply a hospital's BAD DEBT. A person might have high deductibles or co-payments and be unable to pay their portion, OR they might have no insurance and be unable to pay part or all of their bill.
The whole point of bankruptcy is for a person's "bad debt" to be discharged. Medical debts are discharged, which then become "uncompensated care" as listed above AND in the Kaiser reference from Post #51.
If this doesn't make this issue understandable to you, I'm afraid I can't help you.
I have to say I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what is lacking in your comprehension of this issue. The source I gave references "uncompensated care" which CAN be due to being uninsured, but is more generally "bad debt" that the hospital carries. For a specific definition of "uncompensated care, see this:
"What is Uncompensated Care?
Uncompensated care is an overall measure of hospital care provided for which no payment was received from the patient or insurer. It is the sum of a hospital's "bad debt" and the charity care it provides. Charity care is care for which hospitals never expected to be reimbursed. A hospital incurs bad debt when it cannot obtain reimbursement for care provided; this happens when patients are unable to pay their bills, but do not apply for charity care, or are unwilling to pay their bills."
Source: AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION. UNCOMPENSATED HOSPITAL CARE COST. FACT SHEET. December 2010
Whether a person has insurance or not is irrelevant in the issue of "uncompensated care." It is simply a hospital's BAD DEBT. A person might have high deductibles or co-payments and be unable to pay their portion, OR they might have no insurance and be unable to pay part or all of their bill.
The whole point of bankruptcy is for a person's "bad debt" to be discharged. Medical debts are discharged, which then become "uncompensated care" as listed above AND in the Kaiser reference from Post #51.
If this doesn't make this issue understandable to you, I'm afraid I can't help you.
The issue here is that you're not thinking deep enough. You're entirely hung up on the idea of "uncompensated care" and the definition of "bad debt," but you have NOT tied those dollars to taxpayers! Show me where taxpayers are on the hook for "uncompensated care" due to BANKRUPTCY!
I already know the answer. I've been waiting for you to dig deeper to see if you can figure it out on your own. You haven't. There's a missing link to all of this, but you've yet to notice what it is.
I know you feel good about what you're typing....and it all makes sense to you. But there's a piece of the puzzle that you don't even know is missing. Can you figure out what it is? Hint: It has to do with bankruptcy law and the routine absorbtion of unpaid bills by hospitals.
The issue here is that you're not thinking deep enough. You're entirely hung up on the idea of "uncompensated care" and the definition of "bad debt," but you have NOT tied those dollars to taxpayers! Show me where taxpayers are on the hook for "uncompensated care" due to BANKRUPTCY!
I already know the answer. I've been waiting for you to dig deeper to see if you can figure it out on your own. You haven't. There's a missing link to all of this, but you've yet to notice what it is.
I know you feel good about what you're typing....and it all makes sense to you. But there's a piece of the puzzle that you don't even know is missing. Can you figure out what it is? Hint: It has to do with bankruptcy law and the routine absorbtion of unpaid bills by hospitals.
I tied some of those dollars to taxpayers, through the DSH program. Now we have no way of knowing in this particular case, if the hospital they owe the money to is a hospital that provides a disporportionate amount of uncompensated care, making it eligible for these funds.
It doesn't matter WHY the care is uncompensated, whether it's b/c of bankruptcy, uninsuredness, poverty or whatever. Uncompensated hospital care is paid for by the taxpayers.
The OP is precisely what the ObamaCare mandate is about. But, no, we are to defend the rights of people with no forethought or ethical commitment to pull their own weight to act stupidly and have the rest of us pick up the slack. Like the person who is a yoga instructor with a $2000 mortgage he bought with a stated income loan, and two kids in private school, and wants food stamps. Some people are just ignorant jerks!!!
Ugh!
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