Financial Fragility, Medical Problems, and the Bankruptcy System
26 Pages Posted: 2 Aug 2017
Date Written: 2013
Abstract
This paper, finalized in 2013, is the penultimate version of a chapter in Working and Living in the Shadow of Economic Fragility (Marion G. Crain & Michael Sherraden eds. 2014) and is relevant to claims made in current debates about health care finance.
Following up on our article Managing Medical Bills on the Brink of Bankruptcy, the paper synthesizes disparate research connecting medical problems and bankruptcy filings.
The paper also presents new findings on the coping mechanisms used by financially distressed households before bankruptcy – including medical provider payment plans, pawn shops and payday loans, and informal arrangements with friends and family.
Keywords: Bankruptcy, Health Care, Fringe Banking, Payday Lending, Medical Care, Payment Plans
JEL Classification: I11, I13, I18, I31
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation