Obamacare question

[Dreamer Tatum]

Suppose I sign up on the exchange, get covered, and make, say, one premium payment, maybe two. Then I get sick and am hospitalized, ringing up huge charges. I now owe the premiums and the copays up to some maximum. Suppose I don't pay any
of that. Suppose I don't have access to extended Medicaid.

What happens to people when they simply don't pay, other than being presented with bills? I keep getting care and they just add
to the bill, right?

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. Your insurer pays for your care up to the point at which you are no longer insured.

At which point, the hospital takes your house in lieu of payment.

Most rational people will accept that paying $80 for another months insurance premium is a fair price to keep their house.

[Yo_Mama]

2. Except that many people literally don't have the money to pay.

ACA should greatly improve that problem, but still it is there for many.

[Nye Bevan]

3. You would owe the hospital copay, plus the copay for the physicians treating you.

Probably about two thousand dollars or so.

In practice you would be treated and go home. The hospital would get most of its money directly from your insurer and would bill you for the copay a few weeks later (this is my experience). If you are unable to pay the full amount, and you call them, they will offer you some kind of payment plan or might write some of it off. If you ignore the bill they will turn it over to a collection agency and it will eventually go on your credit report.