[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_color=”#2ea3f2″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”330deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”#2ea3f2 0%|#2e6df4 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”#2ea3f2″ background_color_gradient_end=”#2e6df4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Medical Debt” subhead=”South Carolinians suffer more from medical debt than people from just about any other state!” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ title_font=”||||||||” title_font_size=”38px” subhead_font=”||on||||||” subhead_font_size=”24px” background_color=”rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)” hover_enabled=”0″ border_radii_image=”off|20px|20px|20px|20px” global_colors_info=”{}” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” title_text=”Medical debt 160″ header_image_url=”https:\/\/kimlerforsc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Medical-debt-160.png” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Hospital bills affect the average South Carolinian harder than residents in just about any other state.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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South Carolina has the 2nd highest rate of medical debt in collections in the nation. We’re not just talking medical debt. We’re talking debt so bad that it’s gone to collections! (South Carolina Public Radio<\/a>)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1 in 5 South Carolinians have medical debt in collections. For African Americans in SC, it’s 1 in 4.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There are solutions out there that many states have begun implementing to ease the crushing weight of medical debt for their residents.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Arizona has set a ceiling for interest on all medical debt. Other states like Connecticut make it illegal to charge interest on medical debt to patients who are below a certain income level. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Arizona has also cancelled<\/em> $2B in medical debt, helping up to 1 million Arizonans. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n North Carolina is offering financial incentives for hospitals to forgive unpaid bills to low- and middle-income residents. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Even the federal government has helped by ruling that medical debt could not be used on credit reports, opening the doors to loans for millions of Americans who were previously closed out from them. Our lawmakers could have made this happen before, but they refused to take up proposed legislation on this subject. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Many are shocked to learn that the South Carolina state government has inserted itself into the medical debt industry by acting as a\u00a0debt collector<\/strong>, taking money out of peoples’ tax refunds or even garnishing wages to pay off hospital bills. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Our government has no business being in the debt collection business!<\/strong> They don’t do this for any other industry: Not for mortgages, car loans, credit cards, and so on. So why have they carved out this sweetheart deal with hospitals?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Furthermore, hospital bills and insurance coverage are often riddled with errors and are confusing to understand even in the best of situations. I know this from personal experience when I received large bills from the hospital for test performed to donate an organ – when it’s against the law for a donor to be billed a single penny for this process!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Do you have any idea how hard it is to get back money from the state government when they’ve “collected” from you money for a hospital bill that was in error?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 2023, Senator Jackson introduced a bill<\/a> that would<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nOther states are acting. Why aren’t we?<\/h3>\n
(Commonwealth Fund<\/a>)<\/p>\n
(The Hill<\/a>)<\/p>\n
(AP News<\/a>)<\/p>\n
(NBC News<\/a>)<\/p>\nSC Government is a Collection Agency?<\/h3>\n
(Consumers for Quality Care<\/a>)<\/p>\nSome Lawmakers Tried to Fix It, But the Majority Said No<\/h4>\n
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