Before Obamacare, many people sought the help of a bankruptcy attorney because of medical bills. When an uninsured person suffered a serious injury (like a car accident), they found themselves with thousands upon thousands of dollars in bills that they simply could not pay. This forced many people to seek bankruptcy protection. Now that health insurance is available to all people, the goal was to bring medical bankruptcies to an end. Unfortunately, there are still a problem even though the overall number has decreased.
According to some reports, this health care reform leaves about 30 million people without insurance and exposed to danger. As a bankruptcy lawyer, there have been many clients who were otherwise healthy who found themselves in a car accident or some other incident that sends them to the hospital overnight. It is easy for an extended hospital stay to cost tens of thousands of dollars, with subsequent medical care adding even more. For people struggling to make ends meet, these bills are simply too much to pay back.
Even people with insurance could find themselves in trouble. With just basic coverage, a person will face high co-pays and deductibles that cost thousands of dollars. For some teetering on the edge of insolvency, suddenly having a $6,000 bill might push them over the edge. Even for some people with insurance, medical bankruptcy might still be necessary.
But the people most in danger of issues are still the uninsured. Many people who will not have insurance will fall into one or more of the following categories:
- People aged 18-44
- People making up to 400% of the poverty line
- People employed at least part time
These are people who are normally healthy who don’t visit the doctor very often. Unfortunately, the cost being uninsured doesn’t become apparent until something bad happens. A St. Louis bankruptcy attorney can help with a medical bankruptcy to deal with these medical bills. The bankruptcy lawyers at The Westbrook Law Group can help with a medical bankruptcy needed to take care of extreme medical bills. We can help give you a fresh start after a serious medical problem.
