Healthcare Digest 4/17: Is Bankruptcy the Answer to Healthcare Debt?

The Law Offices of Hagen and Hagen want you to know that it’s perfectly okay to declare bankruptcy because of medical debt. Oh, and by the way: the Law Offices of Hagen and Hagen specialize in bankruptcy — but that’s just coincidental, I’m sure.

Consumers, of course, are finding themselves more and more at the mercy of medical bills. Questions around how to pay for unexpected medical bills, especially in the face of the Affordable Care Act, are complicating things further.

But is bankruptcy really the best idea? That road is a complicated one — so in some ways its perfectly appropriate for Hagen & Hagen to suggest their services. But suggesting that bankruptcy is the answer — when it really can lead to significantly greater challenges later.

Wednesday headlines:

Avoiding Compliance Penalties: “Healthx reports an increase in inquiries from Health Plans and Third Party Administrators looking to meet compliance standards for CAQH CORE Operating Rules for Eligibility & Claim Status — CORE II. The Affordable Care Act requires Healthcare Payers to certify to the Department of Health and Human Services that they are CAQH CORE II compliant by December 31, 2013, which has several Healthcare Payers looking for a solution. The Department of Health and Human Services will begin imposing penalties for non-compliance in 2014.” [press release]

Innovating Really Shouldn’t Be a Gerund, But…: From an article headlined “Innovating the Business of Healthcare” — “The problem is that vital information is missing throughout the entire healthcare supply chain. What information is available is often transferred laboriously by paper, and databases in hospitals and doctors’ offices are unable to talk to each other because there are no data standards. In some settings doctors and nurses spend as much time on paperwork as they do treating patients.” [Huffington Post]

The Effect of Obamacare on Full-Time Employment: “One of the first casualties of Obamacare could be the 40-hour workweek for some employees. Even the 30-hour week could be in danger in some industries, as companies pare back hours to avoid providing health insurance for part-timers.” [PennLive.com]