Debt issues continue to plague Americans, along with the never-ending threat of COVID-19. While many of these problems were already in place before 2020, the viral pandemic brought a host of financial issues with it. Worries over contracting COVID-19 have taken priority for most individuals, but unfortunately, health problems often point to financial problems too.
Medical debt caused by COVID has just been lumped into previous debt weighing on many Americans.
“… our country continues to have a chronic health-care unaffordability problem. Large numbers of adults continue to suffer financially even if they are covered by insurance,” said Sara Collins, vice president of health care coverage for The Commonwealth Fund. “More than a third of adults reported that over the previous year, either they or a family member had problems paying their medical bills. They had been contacted by a collection agency, had to change their way of life to pay their bills or were paying off bills that had accumulated over time.”
And while it has been made clear that COVID does not discriminate, that doesn’t mean that some individuals weren’t hit harder due to income or ethnicity—and left without insurance.
“The service industry was really hard hit,” she said. “Black, Hispanic and lower-income adults disproportionately work in many of these jobs. These groups were more likely to report having lost income during the pandemic, and these are sectors where fewer people get coverage through their jobs. There was not a lot of focus on the fact that a lot of people in these hard-hit industries already were uninsured.”
If you are being sued over medical debt (or any other debt), speak with an attorney from Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC as soon as possible to explore your options. This could be critical to your future, ensuring you that you are able to reply to and work on a defense for your case, and ultimately fend off the possibility of a default judgment. At that level, you could find yourself at the mercy of wage garnishments, seizure of property, and loss of control over financial accounts.
If you are worried about a creditor lawsuit or judgment, contact us at Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC. We can review your current situation and discuss your options with you, whether that means a negotiated settlement, fighting a judgment, filing for bankruptcy, or more. Our attorneys have decades of experience representing clients in all types of consumer rights matters, and we are here to help you! Call us today for a free consultation at (844) 431-3851, or email us at info@debtorprotectors.com.