Hospitals Suing Poorest Patients And Garnishing Wages: Yields Less Than 1% Of Revenue

[PoliTalker]

"On the eastern edge of St. Joseph, Mo., lies the small city's only hospital, a landmark of modern brick and glass buildings. Everyone in town knows Heartland Regional Medical Center — many residents gave birth to their children here. Many rush here when they get hurt or sick.

And there's another reason everyone knows this place: Thousands of people around St. Joseph have been sued by the hospital and had their wages seized to pay for medical bills. Some of them, given their income, could have qualified to get their bill forgiven entirely — but the hospital seized their wages anyway.

NPR and ProPublica have been investigating the increase in so-called "wage garnishment" by credit card and other companies. For this story, we looked specifically at nonprofit hospitals and found the practice widespread in five different states around the country.

Nonprofit hospitals get huge tax breaks — they are considered charities and therefore don't pay federal or state income tax or local property tax. In exchange, they are obligated to provide financial assistance or "charity care" to lower-income patients.

And there's another reason everyone knows this place: Thousands of people around St. Joseph have been sued by the hospital and had their wages seized to pay for medical bills. Some of them, given their income, could have qualified to get their bill forgiven entirely — but the hospital seized their wages anyway."

Sounds like they got the name of the place wrong. Instead of 'Heartland" it should be called "Heartless."

PoliTalker anti-troll thread thief disclaimer: If this thread is stolen, plagiarized, will the thief have the nerve to use the entire OP, word for word? Including this disclaimer? If you want my take on it, you'll have to post to this original PoliTalker thread. I refuse to be an enabler for online bullies, so I won't post to a stolen thread. I won't even read it. If you don't see me, PoliTalker, posting in this thread check the author. This might be a hijacked thread, not the original.

NPR Story

[PoliTalker]

The woman in the story had to have an appendectomy.

The hospital seems to have assumed that gave them the chance to perform an ongoing dollar-ectomy on the family.

They've already paid as much as the original hospital bill.

But with 9% interest on the unpaid balance, the debt just keeps on crushing the hard working low income family.

No problem.

Eventually they will be a no income family if capitalism gets it's way and automates their jobs.

[Gonzomin]

To corporations, people are units of profit, not people.

[PoliTalker]

Hello Gonzomin,

To corporations, people are units of profit, not people.

So true.