Millions are crippled by medical debt - welcome to healthcare in America [View all]
Shortly after Deb Genetin was diagnosed with colon cancer in November 2018, she was told she couldn’t have the surgery that eventually would end up saving her life — all because of costs.
A medical technician at Mercy Health in Springfield walked into the room, right after a surgeon had explained what to expect in surgery, and said “financing isn’t in place,” Genetin said.
“They never told me how much money they needed, how much money I had to come up with. It was just a ‘No,’” said the 57-year-old Springfield resident.
She remembers having trouble breathing, losing her balance and shaking uncontrollably when she heard she couldn’t have the surgery.
The cancer had zapped her energy and, Genetin said, she was in excruciating pain and felt like they had told her to “just commit suicide.”
“I couldn’t live with the pain,” she explained.
At the time, Genetin didn’t have health insurance; it was something she had gone without for 10 years because she said she couldn’t afford it.
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Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy and can haunt people for a lifetime. It can hurt a person’s credit score, make it harder for individuals to rent or buy a house and take a psychological toll.
https://www.dispatch.com/news/20191231/families-crippled-by-medical-debt-even-after-comparison-shopping-to-find-cheaper-treatment?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Columbus%20Dispatch%20todays-news%202019-12-31&utm_content=COLD_CD&utm_term=123119
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SHAME on Bon Secours Mercy Health!! This is criminal what they did to this poor woman!
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