Medical Bankruptcy Act

The Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2009 is a bill that would amend title 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005) sponsored by Sen. Whitehouse which would: 1) provide protection for homeowners with medical debt, 2) restore bankruptcy protection for individuals experiencing financial distress who serve as caregivers to injured, ill, or disabled family members, 3) and to become exempt from taking the bankruptcy means test for those whose financial problems were caused by serious medical issues.

If the bill is passed it would waive the “means test” and credit counseling requirements for those who to wish file bankruptcy at a by hearing Sen. Russ Feingold (D-W.I.). Without health care reform, a family’s yearly health insurance payments could exceed $30,000 by the end of the 2020. Forty-seven million Americans are uninsured including 9 million children.

A recent study shows that based on the effects of the recession alone approximately seven million Americans will lose their health insurance coverage between 2008 and 2010. Researchers at the Urban Institute estimate that if unemployment reaches 10%, another six million Americans will lose their health insurance coverage. Employee spending on health insurance coverage has increased 128% between 1999 and 2008.

Economists have found that increasing health care costs show a connection with decreases in health insurance coverage. National studies show that the main reason many people are uninsured is due to the high costs of health insurance. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, a recent study found that 62% of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses. Those who filed for bankruptcy, almost 80% had health insurance coverage.

A married couple lost their son to a fatal medical disease, in addition lost their home and their retirement income trying to pay medical bills related to their son's medical disease. Although they had health insurance, their health insurance company refused to cover all of their son's medical costs. They borrowed to file for bankruptcy. This is a clear example of why we need health care reform. Even if you don't support the president and don't support all of the features of the health care reform bill you must provide support to overhaul the current health care industry.

We are the only developed country that provides health insurance but have the largest number of deaths due to lack of medical insurance or lack of appropriate medical care.

The constitution states that "We the people of the United States… promote the generate welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…"

General welfare includes health care which as a country we are lacking in. How can health insurance companies claim that they will provide care for a patient yet deny them insurance because of a pre-existing, non-treatable or terminal condition. Health care is not about treating only healthy people, health care includes treating non-healthy people so they can become healthy.