TV personality John Oliver forgives $14,922,261.76 in debt and how to avoid getting stuck with unpaid medical bills under workers' compensation.
We previously blogged about a Harvard University study from 2011 that showed medical bills as the cause for 62.1% of bankruptcies. Unfortunately, even people with health insurance find themselves in a position where they cannot afford all medical treatment.
Many of the people who contact our office cannot get their medical bills covered under workers’ compensation. The insurance company finds some reason to dispute the claim.
Medical providers turn over these unpaid bills to debt collectors who use aggressive tactics to collect. Lawsuits are even filed against individuals despite a pending workers’ compensation claim.
HBO personality John Oliver has done an excellent overview of the problem and even went so far as to purchase nearly $15 million in unpaid debt. He spent .5 cents on the dollar and then forgave the 9,000 people who owed the money. Check out his informative and hilarious video below.
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Fighting back against debt collectors
The most important benefit under Michigan workers’ compensation is access to medical care. All reasonable and necessary medical treatment should be covered. There are no co-pays or deductibles. It is paid 100% by the insurance company. We recommend that you contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer if your medical bills are not being paid. It is possible to receive penalties for late payment and attorney fees are recoverable under specific circumstances. Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers never charges a fee to evaluate a potential case. Our law firm has represented injured and disabled workers exclusively for more than 35 years. Call (855) 221-2667 for a free consultation today. Related information: Harvard study finds medical bills as reason for 62.1% of bankruptcies Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, by Images_of_Money.