At the debate this week, @BernieSanders called our healthcare system “dysfunctional” and “cruel” — and he’s not wrong.
Case in point: yesterday, @ProPublica published my feature on patients whose medical debt ultimately lands them in jail.
I met a lot of people:
Case in point: yesterday, @ProPublica published my feature on patients whose medical debt ultimately lands them in jail.
I met a lot of people:
Crystal Dyke was jailed while pregnant bc she missed hearings for a $230 bill.
Derek Dustman spent 2 nights in jail after he couldn’t pay his ambulance bill.
Tres Biggs’ 6yo got cancer, and wife got Lyme. He was arrested 2x.
These people fell into a specific coverage gap:
Derek Dustman spent 2 nights in jail after he couldn’t pay his ambulance bill.
Tres Biggs’ 6yo got cancer, and wife got Lyme. He was arrested 2x.
These people fell into a specific coverage gap:
They all had incomes too low to afford private insurance but too high to qualify for Medicaid in KS (which didn’t expand the program).
But, I met many more who were underinsured and got sued when they couldn’t pay their deductibles.
But, I met many more who were underinsured and got sued when they couldn’t pay their deductibles.
In Coffeyville, KS, where I did most of my reporting, the debt collectors are the ones who get to request the warrants when people fail to show up in court.
They are, in effect, the arbiters of who gets arrested and who is shown mercy.
They are, in effect, the arbiters of who gets arrested and who is shown mercy.
The judge is actually a cattle rancher who never went to law school. It’s common for non-lawyer judges to oversee debt collection cases in low-level courts.
This judge is so overwhelmed that he thinks the solution is universal healthcare.
This judge is so overwhelmed that he thinks the solution is universal healthcare.
Think that’s wild? There’s more:
The more I spoke with lawyers and debt collections experts, the more I realized how widespread these practices are.
The more I spoke with lawyers and debt collections experts, the more I realized how widespread these practices are.
The @ACLU analyzed more than 1k arrest warrants for debtors. They found many of the same trends.
“Dysfunctional” and “cruel” just scratch the surface.
Read it here: features.propublica.org/medical-debt/w…
(Photo credit to @EdmundFountain, edited by the great @AlexandraZayas, and design by @jilliankumagai)
Read it here: features.propublica.org/medical-debt/w…
(Photo credit to @EdmundFountain, edited by the great @AlexandraZayas, and design by @jilliankumagai)
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