Anecdotal Evidence Suggests Jump in Medical Bankruptcies
Although exact numbers are difficult to determine, there is a wide-ranging sense among bankruptcy lawyers and court officials that the number of personal bankruptcies attributed to health expenses is growing. Lawmakers, including President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), have said that reform legislation could help in several ways, including expanding Medicaid eligibility, prohibiting insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and capping annual out-of-pocket medical costs.
- "From the Hospital to Bankruptcy Court" (Sack, New York Times, 11/25).