Pending legislation could reduce medical debt

Medical care is expensive, even for Tennessee readers who have health insurance. Some things are not covered, and people may still have to pay if they see a practitioner who is not in their network. Understanding what is covered is a complex, confusing process, and many patients often find themselves with surprise medical bills because of it. Medical debt is a serious problem for many thousands of Americans.

One example of surprise medical bills comes from a woman who went for an appendectomy at a hospital in network. After her surgery, she still faced expensive medical costs because while the hospital was in network, the doctor was not. Many other have similar experiences, and it is leading to a debt crisis. Congress may actually move to do something about it.

One lawmaker proposed legislation that would prevent these types of surprise charges from happening. There is bipartisan support for the bill, and President Trump has also stated how these charging practices are unfair to patients who need medical care. When people face bills they do not expect, it limits their ability to pay. In turn this leads to debt build-up, leaving many Americans with balances they can never hope to pay off on their own.

Medical debt is one of the leading causes of financial difficulties among Americans. Preventing unnecessary medical debt because of surprise bills is a positive step forward, but Tennessee residents are still struggling to pay what they already owe. These individuals may want to consider the benefits of filing for bankruptcy to deal with certain types of unsecured debt.