Families all across the country are struggling to pay back medical bills, and for some people, these bills can just become too much. When someone can no longer make his or her monthly payments on medical bills (or anything else), the next step is to begin considering bankruptcy, according to Ron Brown. Brown is the owner of the Brown Law Firm, a Tulsa bankruptcy firm that helps clients throughout the Oklahoma area. He says that paying off medical bills can be especially difficult for families because these bills are usually so unexpected.
“It is a very common thing, unfortunately,” Brown says. “People can’t afford to pay their medical bills, and they end up having to file for bankruptcy because of it.” Brown explains that unplanned visits to the emergency room can run upwards of $2,000, while surgeries can cost $40,000 or more. “And how is the average family going to be able to pay all of that back, especially if it doesn’t have insurance or is underinsured?” he asks.
In Tulsa, especially, bankruptcy firms have become necessary for families who need a reprieve from overzealous debt collectors. “Around this area, the medical providers are pretty aggressive,” he explains. In addition to calling people’s homes, medical providers have been known to sue to get back the money they are owed.
Additionally, people who cannot pay their medical bills may have their wages garnished by debt collectors as well, which can be both embarrassing and financially troublesome. “We see a lot of that,” Brown says. “Clients will come in having garnishments attached to their wages because of unpaid medical bills.” In the majority of these cases, the only option that people are left with is to file for a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Although it is common for debtors to file for bankruptcy as a way to protect themselves from medical bill collectors, Brown explains that there is no such thing as a “medical bankruptcy.” Despite the frequencies with which people use the term, Brown says that no bankruptcy firm in Tulsa can help its clients file for a medical bankruptcy, because the term just does not exist in a legal sense. “People are just filing for a bankruptcy because of medical bills. That doesn’t mean they have a medical bankruptcy per se,” he explains.
Brown says that the term may have come about because some people thought it sounded better or looked better than admitting that they were filing for a regular Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy like everyone else. However, there is no shame in filing for any type of bankruptcy—medical or otherwise.
Instead, if a person gets behind on his medical bills or realizes that he is going to be unable to pay them in the future, the best thing to do is to contact a bankruptcy attorney and explain the situation, Brown says. A qualified attorney will be able to walk his or her clients through their situations and explain what options they have available. Whether that means filing for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and reorganizing debt or a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidating assets — which happens to be the most common option — depends on the particular client’s individual situation.
For anyone needing help paying off medical bills in Tulsa, calling a bankruptcy firm such as the Brown Law Firm is a definite step in the right direction towards a living debt-free life.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
