"Such heavy-handed techniques have led a few states, including California, New York and Illinois,- - - "
You may face increasingly aggressive collection tactics. "Swelling amounts of bad debt have led many hospitals to remove the kid gloves. Collection calls and a trashed credit rating are just the start; you may face lawsuits, wage garnishment and liens on your home.
"Such heavy-handed techniques have led a few states, including California, New York and Illinois, to place limits on the prices hospitals can charge the uninsured and on how debts can be collected. But those laws are the exception, not the rule.
"A handful of states have put into place some protections for the uninsured and the underinsured," said Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center. "In the majority of states, there are no legal protections."
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