Can't pay your doctor? Charge it!

[Soylent Brice]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As medical bills pile up, more Americans are paying their doctors with plastic.

Consumer advocates warn that this is a dangerous trend, but industry watchers see a multi-billion dollar opportunity for lenders to offer specialized "medical" credit cards.

"Out-of-pocket health care spending was already increasing in good times," said Bruce Carlson, publisher with health care market research firm Kalorama Information. "Now with high unemployment, consumers have to reach into their pockets even more to fund their health care."

Americans spend an estimated $294 billion on annual out-of-pocket medical costs annually, to cover everything from doctor's office co-payments to surgeries and prescription medications.

more: http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/09/news/economy/healthcare_medical_creditcards/index.htm?postversion=2009070909

..."medical" credit cards...

vultures. every one of them.

[Captain Hilts]

1. My throat, ear infection cost me $400 out of pocket. nt

[notadmblnd]

2. I imagine they'll include a 30% interest rate too.

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. Well, that will make it a "single payer" system then, in a bassackward fucked up way

Step 1) Patient pays with credit card.

Step 2) Cardholders default on credit card and walk away from balance.

Step 3) Government bails out banks.

Except this would cost a hell of a lot more than just reforming the goddamn useless corporate system in the first place. :evilfrown:

[AndyA]

4. You should be in Congress! Really.

That's exactly the way some things seem to go, isn't it? :shrug:

Thanks for the laugh! :thumbsup:

[Soylent Brice]

8. wow. astoundingly accurate, and extremely depressing.

nice observation.

[imdjh]

5. "credit dentist" used to be a euphemism for sleazy dentist

[nightrain]

6. send the bill to Baucus and/or Kennedy/Dodd

They might benefit from a reality check about how stretched we are. Their proposals are unaffordable for middle class people.

Get HR 676 rated by the CBO. It is clearly a better option than anything else Congress is proposing.

[Bobbie Jo]

7. I had dental work done a few years ago....

and actually had to apply for a loan IN HIS OFFICE. They had the loan paperwork ready to go, and was approved with a phone call.

I thought it was both strange and smart at the same time.

[cdsilv]

9. Same thing w/my daughter's orthodontics 10 years ago....

...loan applied for and approved in the doc's office.