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Yum_Kaax t1_j6yj57u wrote

> Gov. Ned Lamont unveiled a plan Thursday to pay down as much as $2 billion in medical debt for Connecticut residents using $20 million in federal relief fund.

Not sure how that math works. Plans like this scare me because the cost tends to just get pushed to the taxpayer. I already pay an obscene amount for my own medical insurance and high deductible. How about Lamont put together a bill requiring lower deductibles for all healthcare plans and require full coverage after it is met. None of this "we pay 80% of your hospital visit after the deductible bs."

I also need an explanation as to how these hospitals can bill over $1000 for a COVID PCR test.

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-ctinsider t1_j6ylyd7 wrote

Under the proposal, which Lamont plans to include in his upcoming biennial budget, the state would partner with a nonprofit that purchases medical debt at a fraction of its original cost, then forgives borrowers.

Officials say the initiative would use funds from the federal American Rescue Plan. Residents would not have to apply and would simply receive notification that their medical debt has been forgiven.

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roo-ster t1_j6yxa1e wrote

> a nonprofit that purchases medical debt at a fraction of its original cost, then forgives borrowers.

In other words, these 'debts' have already been written off by the healthcare providers. They were then put out on the open market for bottom-feeders to bid for the right to extort payments from people who may or may not actually owe any money.

This is the "greatest country in the world"? Really?

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Shmeves t1_j6zhwgz wrote

Yup. Capitalism run rampant. Corporate greed/greed led to this. I’m glad the non profit exists to help, but it sucks that they’re necessary in the first place.

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houle333 t1_j70kdwv wrote

Hey, you wrote "bottom feeders" but that's kinda inaccurate. You should have written "group of private investors that includes Lamont's wife as a limited partner".

Wouldn't want people to get the wrong impression and think you are implying that the Lamont's are bottom feeders.

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jon_hendry t1_j6z037g wrote

It's the same thing John Oliver has done on his show. The medical debt can be bought for pennies on the dollar.

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