Category: Diagnosis: Debt

A Surgery Shatters Retirement Plans and Leads to Bankruptcy

Sherrie Foy had surgeries and medical complications that produced about $850,000 in bills. The Foys ended up declaring bankruptcy. “They took everything we had.”

A Sexual Assault and Years of Calls From Debt Collectors

Edy Adams had just graduated from college when she was sexually assaulted in 2013. After getting examined at an ER, she received calls from debt collectors for years over a $131 bill. “I was being haunted by this zombie bill.”

Damaged Credit Delays the Dream of Buying a Home

Joe Pitzo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. After surgery, the bills topped $350,000. “This just took a major toll on my credit,” Joe said. “It went down to next to nothing.”

Nineteen Surgeries Over Five Years. Then They Lost Their House.

Even though one Colorado woman had health insurance, she was swamped with $250,000 in medical debt from surgeries for a twisted intestine. “It was five years of hell,” said her husband.

Hospital Lawsuits and Garnished Wages on Top of Diabetes

A small infection related to diabetes on one New York man’s foot set off a cascade of medical emergencies and financial struggles that his family is still struggling to cope with.

Denied Care for a Dangerous Infection Because of Past-Due Bills

One seriously ill Arizona man was denied care because of past-due bills. His only choice was to go to the ER, where he was stuck with thousands of dollars of additional bills he couldn’t pay.

Upended: How Medical Debt Changed Their Lives

People talk about the sacrifices they made when health care forced them into debt.

Five Quick Takeaways From a Yearlong Investigation of Medical Debt in America

Today, debt from medical and dental bills touches nearly every corner of American society.

100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt 

The U.S. health system now produces debt on a mass scale, a new investigation shows. Patients face gut-wrenching sacrifices.