“My credit is zero because — solely because — of medical debt.”
After she rushed to a St. Peters Urgent Care with a painful tooth, Bebhinn was asked to pay $600 in fees and copays. Her Medicare did not cover dental, so she was denied care and sent to the emergency room where she waited for six hours to be seen.
After she got the care she needed, she was hit with a large ER bill. Instead of being offered financial assistance, Bebhinn now faces a barrage of calls from debt collectors.
“The stress that I feel, the anxiety, all of these things result from the constant harassment from the debt collectors. I know that there’s a certain amount of money allotted to low-income people – I have never been offered any financial relief, I only get threats.”
To learn more about the campaign to end medical debt in New York, visit cssny.org/EndMedicalDebt. Have a story to share about your health care experience? Contact us at wethepatients@cssny.org.