A Time For Forgiving Credit Card Health Debts

In the Jewish religion, for more than two thousand years, this has been the time of year when Jews were commanded to forgive the debts, and interest on the debts, of indigent citizens.

These days, people undertake to pay for health care with credit cards. Patients and their families have little understanding of how quickly costs will mount, expenses will grow, and their resources devoured by sickness, by professional fees, hospital costs and ancillary services. Insurance pays only a portion of health care costs: the remainder goes on the credit card.

In America, health care credit card debt will not be forgiven, no matter how pressing the need for services was, how dire the patent's situation, or oppressive the health care service provider's billing practices might be. Congress has prevented credit card debt from being discharged in bankruptcy and, as a bankruptcy judge told a group of us who were assembled at a bar association meeting, medical services charged on credit cards are a major cause of patients' (and their families') financial collapse.

In this season, isn't it time to forgive the credit card debt, and interest, incurred in preserving life and health? If we can extend help to bankers, investment and financial firms, and others whose debt was incurred in pursuit of satisfaction of their greed, can't we protect - through a return to permitting bankruptcy discharge - those whose credit card debt was incurred to save lives and health?