Dad in Kansas jailed over medical debt

[sandensea]

Heather and her son Lane Biggs just needed medical care. A few years ago, Lane was getting treated for leukemia, which he was diagnosed with at age 5, and at the same time, his mom Heather developed seizures from Lyme disease.

That left the family with a $70,000 medical debt that they couldn’t afford.

They didn’t make enough to afford health insurance, but they made too much to qualify for Medicaid.

After he missed a court appearance about his unpaid bills and was unable to get the money for the $500 bail, Tres was sent to jail.

At: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dad-kansas-jailed-over-medical-140050030.html

[klook]

1. Making America Dickensian Again

Bob Cratchit with His Son Tiny Tim, by Jessie Willcox-Smith

Let’s bring back debtors’ prison, Yay!

[TomSlick]

2. It's a fine point but he was jailed for contempt or failure to appear.

The problem is that the medical providers in Kansas require judgment debtors to appear in court periodically to explain why they cannot pay the judgment. They are putting judgment debtors to the election of missing work - which they obviously cannot afford - or go to jail and miss more work.

Either way, this needs the attention of the federal courts.

[magicarpet]

3. This is inundating and burying someone with impossible Catch 22 situations.

No solutions no escape hatches.