I didnt think America did debtors prison, especially for medical bills.
6
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12 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Wow, England pre eighteenth century. Sad. Vote BLUE.
Bilbobagins
Level 6
Feb 10, 2020
1
"Abuse of process" is a real problem, and that's exactly what this sounds like...
camne
Level 7
Feb 10, 2020
0
if they get a court order sometimes its not about the debt its disobeying the court order its a way to skirt the laws of course
whiskywoman
Level 8
Feb 10, 2020
0
I think an employer must allow an employee time off for a court appearance.
The employee may be obliged to make up that lost time.
Like Jury Duty. Which they pay you $10 and parking is $10.
BufftonBeotch
Level 8
Feb 10, 2020
0
no not really no employer has to allow that you just have to call in sick
Back kruptcy is caused in a high proportion of cases by overwhelming medical expenses. But in this case the people were grabbed for Failure To Appear, something that should be punished as wasting everyone's time!
AnneWimsey
Level 9
Feb 10, 2020
0
The Article Title is misleading...the people were jailed for "FAILURE TO APPEAR IN COURT"...all they had to do was appear in court and state they couldn't pay the medical bills...thats all they had to do...they had one job........Judge cannot jail someone because they are too poor to pay a ridiculously high medical bill. And the Article is nothing more than a misleading, sensationalist click bait. You miss your court date for ANY court appearance your going to get arrested and charged.
phoenixone1
Level 8
Feb 10, 2020
1
The compassion is underwhelming
Seems a bit counter productive . When someone who's working multiple jobs to try to pay their bills , has to show in court repeatedly means they have to leave their jobs repeatedly and could thereby loose their jobs .
Cast1es
Level 9
Feb 9, 2020
1
Not to mention that its harder to pay bills from jail!
That is a deliberately misleading headline.
Granted, many HMOs are filing legal actions against people for medical debt, but
the people who are being jailed have violated actual statutes.
Sensational headlines are not good examples of actual journalism.
KKGator
Level 9
Feb 9, 2020
2
Did you read the article?
@thinkwithme I did.
Worried that this was in my state and that we’d be subjected to the normal ridicule, I had to check this out. Mercifully it is in Kansas—whew! Them midwesterners are a loutish bunch.
To be fair, the arrest was for failure to appear, not for the debt. It seems like bankruptcy would be in order.
WilliamFleming
Level 8
Feb 9, 2020
0
Doesnt seem fair at all
@thinkwithme What is not fair is that we have such a screwed up healthcare system that these gargantuan bills are accrued in the first place. It’s caused by pure greed, and is enabled by government and health insurance. If supply and demand were allowed to run their course you’d see some major changes.
Until it gets fixed, if possible, Americans should consider going to other countries for major medical procedures.
Try to live a healthy lifestyle, stay the hell away from doctors and hospitals, and as a last resort, prepare to die. I am quite the hypocrite, covered by the VA as I am. Still, things need fixing for the benefit of the average citizen.
This is a good argument for universal health care.
dare2dream
Level 7
Feb 9, 2020
1
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