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Couple left with $200k bill after baby born in US (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 6 months ago* by to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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A couple were told they faced a $200,000 (£146,500) medical bill when their baby was born prematurely in the US, despite them having travel insurance which covered her pregnancy.

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[–] 30 points 6 months ago (17 children)

I'm curious, what happens if you just don't pay? What if you just go back home and never come back?

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  • [–] 44 points 6 months ago (10 children)

    Honestly if you never go back, not much. It wouldn't even impact your credit rating, and your country likely doesn't have the means to enforce it. I could imagine you get harassed by us debt collection agencies but they can't do anything about it either. If you're never returning to the US, it's fine.

    You could likely even still holiday in the USA. It won't impact your visa as it's not a criminal offence either.

    I'm not a lawyer, and could be totally wrong, but I asked my dad who is also not a lawyer.

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  • [–] 27 points 6 months ago* (4 children)

    After 7 years without any payment, most debt including medical debt and standard loans are discharged. The non-payment is key. Even sending a cent will restart the obligation to that debt

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  • [–] 10 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    If the debt is large enough, the companies will use a myriad of tricks to keep the debt alive long after it is supposed to expire.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Like what?

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    They will actually make a payment in your name to the account and that will keep the debt alive for at least a year or two.

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  • [–] 15 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    They are bringing back debtor's prisons in some states, those debts they sell as unrecoverable are bought by shady companies, as in Utah, that sue for them in the big city, and if the defendant doesn't show up they get a default judgement and then get the judge to hold them in contempt, and jail them. If they pay they get out right away. After they get out of jail the holder of the debt can just file for another action and contempt you again, as I understand it.

    And they aren't the only state either I hear, they were one of the first to end run around the prohibition, I think case law, on debtor's prisons, over 10 years back.

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Utah still has the firing squad, yeah?

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  • [–] 11 points 6 months ago*

    They just brought back that form of execution, and it's an improvement over lethal injection as it is practiced, or the electrical chair or gas chamber.

    Lethal injection could be humane, they choose not to make it so. Nothing would be more humane that a hot shot of opioids and benzodiazapemes and the like. They want them to suffer and use their other formulation that does cause pain even as it makes the person unable to show that pain, as I understand it.

    The electrical chair is grotesque, as was the gas chamber as practiced that not only is disturbingly similar to nazi shit, but also operated as with the lethal injections.

    So firing squad is much more humane, hanging is humane, guillotine, etc would all be better. Obviously though we can't trust the system to convict the right people so we shouldn't have the death penalty. But certain exceptions could exist, for people that would use corrupt influence to get their conviction overturned, cancelled, and do more harm, politically connected people, the super rich.

    And yes, shady companies like these, are the perfect recipients of said penalty with due process as they would pay off higher ups to get it cancelled and abuse more people.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago

    I would say the hospital would sell it to a debt collector in the UK. If it gets to court you could argue incorrect jurisdiction as the contract would have started in the US but that's risking a lot on a technicality. You would also need to fork out for a solicitor, barrister and court costs. I think they did the right thing in shaming the insurance into paying rather than fighting the debt collector who has no shame.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    They can sue, and then try to seize your assets, at least inside the country. Most hospitals don't, but some do. Garnish your paychecks too. Not sure how that would work in another country.

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  • [+] -6 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    ICE gonna come to get ya

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