Comments on: Medical Bankruptcy Myths http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/ Insights on Health Care Reform | NCPA Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:53:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Medical Bills Bankrupt Canadians at Similar Rates as Americans | Devon Herrick | NCPA http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-43889 Medical Bills Bankrupt Canadians at Similar Rates as Americans | Devon Herrick | NCPA Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:13:31 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-43889 [...] Woolhandler, claim more than half of personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills (critiqued here) and most recently 62.1 percent (critiqued [...] [...] Woolhandler, claim more than half of personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills (critiqued here) and most recently 62.1 percent (critiqued [...]

]]> By: E. F. Klein, Jr MD (Bud) http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-42706 E. F. Klein, Jr MD (Bud) Tue, 19 May 2009 20:20:13 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-42706 I am truly amazed that pseudo science can persist this long and be quoted so liberally and remain, by and large,generally unchallenged. Failure to promulgate the truth or to promote such unscientific drivel can only mean that the "study" served(s) a predetermined purpose. I do not believe the original investigators are/were scientifically stupid...just unethical. As are the individuals, institutions, and educators who knowingly repeat the dishonesty. The old and frequently quoted statement...There are lies, damned lies and statistics".....still holds true. I am truly amazed that pseudo science can persist this long and be quoted so liberally and remain, by and large,generally unchallenged. Failure to promulgate the truth or to promote such unscientific drivel can only mean that the “study” served(s) a predetermined purpose. I do not believe the original investigators are/were scientifically stupid…just unethical. As are the individuals, institutions, and educators who knowingly repeat the dishonesty. The old and frequently quoted statement…There are lies, damned lies and statistics”…..still holds true.

]]> By: medlaw http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-42322 medlaw Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:05:01 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-42322 I was not aware this study was so flawed, although the 50% claim did seem quite unrealistic. That said, medical expense are a major concern for US persons with health insurance. Most people are blissfully unaware of what is not covered until they have a serious illness. It's shocking how quickly large bills accumulate. For those with very little extra disposable income, just one serious illness in the family can push them into a situation where they cannot pay their debts. If the medical provider reduces the debt to judgment, that precipitates a cascade of other problems. I was not aware this study was so flawed, although the 50% claim did seem quite unrealistic. That said, medical expense are a major concern for US persons with health insurance. Most people are blissfully unaware of what is not covered until they have a serious illness. It’s shocking how quickly large bills accumulate. For those with very little extra disposable income, just one serious illness in the family can push them into a situation where they cannot pay their debts. If the medical provider reduces the debt to judgment, that precipitates a cascade of other problems.

]]> By: Ramona http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-42118 Ramona Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:24:07 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-42118 Nice post! GA is also my biggest earner. However, it’s not much.

]]> By: A Loophole for Medical Bankruptcy « WhiteCoat’s Call Room http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-40360 A Loophole for Medical Bankruptcy « WhiteCoat’s Call Room Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:45:28 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-40360 [...] of the commenters to the WSJ article cited a post from John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog on this issue that is worth the read. Interesting how “medical bankruptcy” is [...] [...] of the commenters to the WSJ article cited a post from John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog on this issue that is worth the read. Interesting how “medical bankruptcy” is [...]

]]> By: A Loophole for Medical Bankruptcy « WhiteCoat Rants http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-40328 A Loophole for Medical Bankruptcy « WhiteCoat Rants Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:27:37 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-40328 [...] of the commenters to the WSJ article cited a post from John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog on this issue that is worth the read. Interesting how “medical bankruptcy” is [...] [...] of the commenters to the WSJ article cited a post from John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog on this issue that is worth the read. Interesting how “medical bankruptcy” is [...]

]]> By: Nick E http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/comment-page-1/#comment-37308 Nick E Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:49:49 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/medical-bankruptcy-myths/#comment-37308 Thank you for writing about this study - I reviewed this paper for a graduate seminar years ago and hated it passionately. The one thing you left out is simple logical argument. The study claims to show that medical debt "causes" bankruptcies, but the only way it could do this would be by including data on bankrupt persons and non-bankrupt persons, with a logistic analysis showing that the odds of bankruptcy increased significantly as a function of rising medical debt. The H & W study, though, fails to show this BY DESIGN - that is, since they only included bankrupt persons in their sample, the dependent variable has zero variation in the only analysis that would establish causality. In other words, the beta associated with the medical-debt variable would be 1.00 by definition in any analysis predicting the likelihood of bankruptcy. I studied health policy in a very pro-government-insurance department. The H & W study was my personal breaking point as far as that perspective goes. Thank you for writing about this study – I reviewed this paper for a graduate seminar years ago and hated it passionately.

The one thing you left out is simple logical argument. The study claims to show that medical debt “causes” bankruptcies, but the only way it could do this would be by including data on bankrupt persons and non-bankrupt persons, with a logistic analysis showing that the odds of bankruptcy increased significantly as a function of rising medical debt. The H & W study, though, fails to show this BY DESIGN – that is, since they only included bankrupt persons in their sample, the dependent variable has zero variation in the only analysis that would establish causality. In other words, the beta associated with the medical-debt variable would be 1.00 by definition in any analysis predicting the likelihood of bankruptcy.

I studied health policy in a very pro-government-insurance department. The H & W study was my personal breaking point as far as that perspective goes.

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