People with health insurance may now represent the majority of debtors American hospitals struggle to collect from, according to medical billing analysts.

This marks a sea change from just a few years ago, when people with health insurance represented only about one in 10 bills hospitals considered “bad debt”, analysts said.

“We always used to consider bad debt, especially bad debt write-offs from a hospital perspective, those [patients] that have the ability to pay but don’t,” said Colleen Hall, senior vice-president for Kodiak Solutions, a billing, accounting and consulting firm that works closely with hospitals and performed the analysis.

“Now, it’s not as if these patients across the board are even able to pay, because [out-of-pocket costs are] such an astronomical amount related to what their general income might be.”

  • chaogomu@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Direct action will only spark a civil war.

    One is likely already coming, but the side that kicks it off will be seen as the aggressor, and will likely receive less aid from the military. And whoever holds the military will be the winner.

    Trump already sits in an odd place with the military. He’s liked far more than he should be among the rank and file, but also hated by the officers.

    Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the rank and file hate Trump as well. Dude has earned that hate. The fucker skipped the 100 anniversary of Armistice Day because of a light rain.

    Anyway, all we can do is follow the rule of law as meticulously as possible. That means a bunch of legal wrangling, and getting people to actually vote.

    Here’s the thing, we don’t have to do it forever, the republican party is disintegrating. The in-fighting and lack of anything approaching an idea, that shit, wears on their base.

    If Trump loses again, the republican party will not survive it.

    That’s not to say that conservatism will die. Far from it, but the current batch of them will have to scramble to reinvent themselves, and during that scramble, the left will actually be able to get shit done. probably.

    • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Direct action will only spark a civil war.

      This statement directly contradicts almost all of the progress that has been made in this country since its foundation.

      Practically nothing has come as a result of “voting correctly” and almost everything we have can be attributed directly to direct action campaigns.

      The 8 hour work day, then end of slavery, womens right to vote, social welfare programs, gay rights, rights for blacks in the south.

      All a result of direct action. If anything the “incrementalism” has proved to be the exact opposite.

      • chaogomu@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        I’m sorry, I meant direct action by say, Biden.

        If the Democrats were to follow the Republican playbook, and start fighting dirty.

        That would kick off the civil war, and in the bloodiest way possible. But make no mistake, the Republicans will try to start the war anyway. When they do it, the military will almost certainly not be on their side.

        That’s why Tuberville was blocking military promotions. The only reason that shit stopped was because Trump is mostl likely not going to win again. Trump is too far gone into his own toxic bullshit. He has die hard fans, but has been scaring away the more moderate side of the republican party.

        • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That would kick off the civil war, and in the bloodiest way possible. But make no mistake, the Republicans will try to start the war anyway. When they do it, the military will almost certainly not be on their side.

          Thank you for the clarification. I also agree with your third point, and to some extent, this might be the Dems saving grace, being that the Republicans cant seem to protect themselves from themselves.