Health Care Debt and Debt Collectors: “Is This How My Life Will End?”

John Oliver, in his typically over-the-top, but still informative manner, focuses on the industry of debt collection and how it can be especially troublesome for older adults.  Indeed, when I was running an Elder Protection Clinic for Dickinson Law, a significant percentage of our clients were struggling with “old” debts, often connected to health care costs, and were dealing with aggressive attempts to recover what has come to be known as  “zombie debt.”  One woman interviewed about $80k in debt arising out of denial for insurance coverage for her elderly husband’s hospitalization for breathing problems, describes her fear and frustration after a lifetime of working and saving.  She asks, “Is this how my life is going to end?”

Our thanks to Karen Miller, Esq., in Florida, for sending this link.