According to an article in the Star-Telegram , an estimated 5,550 Texans are losing their health coverage each week as the number of job losses increase and the cost of healthcare rises, making many Texans vulnerable physically and financially.
The article said:
“Rising like a deadly tide, escalating health care costs will have caused 866,580 Texans to lose their health coverage between January 2008 and December 2010,” the organization says. “In that same period, the number of Americans without health coverage is expected to climb by an estimated 6.9 million.”
Millions of Americans are uninsured due to a job loss and/or unaffordable healthcare costs. Even some Americans who are insured find that their insurance covers very little once they become seriously ill, creating a mound of medical debt that can often only be dealt with during bankruptcy. For those 866,580 Texans mentioned in the article, being uninsured puts them at a greater risk of being burdened with unwanted medical debt and being forced to file bankruptcy because of it. It’s important that all uninsured Americans understand that medical debt is a bill just like any other and once medical debt is turned over to the collection agencies it can be just as damaging to a debtor’s financial position as credit card debt. A creditor attempting to get payment on medical debt may choose to file a lawsuit against a debtor and even garnish a debtor’s wages in an attempt to collect. Fortunately for debtors, medical debt can be discharged in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If a creditor files a lawsuit against you in an attempt to collect on a medical debt, filing bankruptcy will stop the legal action. If a creditor is attempting to garnish your wages because of medical debt (or any other debt) filing bankruptcy will stop them and protect you wages. But don’t wait until the creditor is already suing you or garnishing your wages, if you’re facing unmanageable medical debt, contact a bankruptcy attorney today to find out how bankruptcy can help you.