Your Credit Report Might Deny Your Healthcare

Accuracy on your credit reports might determine if you receive health care the next time you need it.

Credit checks by hospitals are becoming more commonplace, as the industry seeks to identify those patients to pursue for payment, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal today. Some hospitals are peeking into patients' credit reports, which contain information on people's lines of credit, debts and payment histories. Other hospitals are contracting with outside services that snoop on patients and predict a patient's income and whether he or she is likely to walk away from a medical bill. Hospitals often use these services when patients are uninsured or have big out-of-pocket costs despite having health insurance.

Consumer advocates say the practice breeds the potential for hospitals to abuse the information by denying or cutting back on patients' care if the snooping creates a suspicion they won't pay.

More...