Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

Patient advocates are accusing hospitals of excessive markup on medical services. Statistics proving these claims can be found by comparing various local hospitals. For example, Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s North Fulton Regional Hospital jacks up their prices an estimated 702 percent over cost. South Fulton Medical Center, another Tenet facility, marks up their medical billing by more than 600 percent. These reported markups give the two hospitals the highest markups in a 10-county metro area, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Our Atlanta bankruptcy lawyers recognize that medical bills are the leading contributor to bankruptcy filings in the United States. We also recognize that these markups are made knowing that few patients will be able to pay the full price, according to Deborah Keel, president and CEO of North Fulton Regional Hospital.

The company's Compact with the Uninsured Program states that all uninsured patients will receive a discount, patients that still cannot pay their bills will receive long-term, interest-free payment plans.

"To put a discount of 50 percent on a procedure that's been marked up 700 percent, that's still a markup of 350 percent and that's still a problem for many patients, especially when the average markup across the state is about 240 percent," said Holly Lang, an accountability director for Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy organization.

Thousands of uninsured patients are charged the full amount either because they do not qualify for assistance or they are unaware of assistance programs and do not apply.

Dealing with the astronomical cost of medical care in the wake of a medical emergency can be extremely stressful. Many times the money is not there to pay the bills because the breadwinner has taken ill or passed away. In other cases, the bills are so absurd that hard-working middle-class families have little or no chance of satisfying the debt. In many cases, the stress of such financial obligations can even inhibit a loved one's ability to recover from surgery or illness.

Speaking with a bankruptcy attorney in Georgia can help you and your family begin to regain the financial footing your rightfully deserve. Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection can stop the collection calls or the other harassing activities of bill collectors. You can use the ensuing peace and quiet to make sound financial decisions with the help of your attorney.

And you can begin to restore your financial reputation and reclaim the enjoyment of life you had before financial problems and illness robbed you of the financial security that is essential to peace of mind.

Continue reading "Hospital Markup Illustrates Why Atlanta Bankruptcy May be Necessary when Dealing with Medical Bills " »

The latest statistics show the number of bankruptcy filings fell 6 percent in the first quarter of the year, although they still remain at record levels, CNN reported.

Our Atlanta bankruptcy lawyers continue to help consumers dealing with bad mortgage debt, credit card debt and medical bills. Nationwide, more than 340,000 people filed for bankruptcy in the United States during the first three months of the year. While that puts the country on pace for fewer filings than the 1.6 million last year, the numbers remain significantly higher than the approximately 1 million consumers a year who sought bankruptcy protection before the economic downturn.

The American Bankruptcy Institute reports 19,588 consumers filed for bankruptcy protection in Georgia during the fourth quarter of 2010. That's down from the 20,694 who filed during the third quarter of the year. But it's still twice the average of 10,000 per quarter filed before the recession began.

Any stigma associated with filing bankruptcy largely diminished as millions sought protection during the Great Recession. The protections afforded by Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy have evolved over time.

As a Live Science article reported when General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection, the head of the company could have been executed in ancient Rome. In England, during the dark ages, consumers who couldn't pay their bills were thrown into a debtor's dungeon. While bankruptcy laws were originally meant to get a creditor back what is owed, they have evolved over time to offer substantial protections to consumers.

Even the Bible offered advice, urging forgiveness of a neighbor's debts every seven years. The term "bankruptcy" is Latin for broken bench, and comes from the old-world marketplace where an indebted merchant could have his bench broken in two, giving him nowhere to sell his wares.

In ancient Greece, debtors could be forced into slavery for their creditors. Modern law stems from 16th Century England, where bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by a creditor seeking to recoup his losses. It wasn't until the financially difficult years following the Civil War that modern laws began to favor the debtor.

Continue reading "Atlanta Residents Continue to Seek Bankruptcy Protection in Record Numbers" »

A Georgia mother-of-two went to return a movie and never came home, according to her family. A frantic search party set out in search of the missing woman shortly after her disappearance was reported. She was later found, about 12 miles away from the store she told her family she was going to visit, according to Mail Online. The 30-year-old woman was found alive and well, but police refuse to reveal where she was as requested by the woman.

While her disappearance remains a mystery, many point to financial woes as the culprit. The family had filed for bankruptcy back in August and was forced to hand over most of their assets, including their two homes in Florida. She and her husband owe more than $1.2 million, including roughly $500,000 in credit card bills.

Our Atlanta bankruptcy lawyers understand that financial problems can strain relationships and create stress in a consumer's life. We urge you to seek the help of an experienced attorney, which can stop the harassment of creditors and debt collectors and help you get back on solid financial ground.

Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap is not ruling out the burdens of their financial problem as the reason for her disappearance. The woman reportedly left the house shortly after her husband left for a weekend hunting trip. She has chosen to keep her location secret because she is "afraid of her husband," according to reports. The woman was missing for about a week, reports Fox News.

It is not uncommon for financial difficulty to cause problems in a relationship or marriage. One of the leading causes of matrimonial difficulty is indeed the strain caused by financial issues. Especially in these recessionary times, the number of families that experience overwhelming debt continues to increase. Debt can be caused by poor money management, reduced income or the loss of a job. Predatory lending, high medical bills and bad real estate debt are also common causes.

Filing bankruptcy may be the only way for a couple to regain control of both their finances and their marriage.

MSN offers some tips for those thinking about bankruptcy, asking is it right for you?:

-When you file for bankruptcy, you can say bye-bye to those phone calls demanding payments, foreclosures, levies against your bank accounts and wage garnishments.

-Bankruptcy can help you start fresh by eliminating troublesome debt. Those who are able to bounce back after a filing for bankruptcy can start using credit responsibly once again and may even be able to rejuvenate their credit score to near-top notch scores.

-Check your motives. If you see bankruptcy as an easy way out, you're likely to fall back into the same trap. This is especially true if you got to this state through compulsive spending.

-Be realistic. It is in your best interest to contact a bankruptcy attorney if you're thinking about bankruptcy so that you may structure the best deal possible and best protect your rights.

Continue reading "Missing Georgia Woman Found Refusing to Reveal Her Whereabouts amid Debt and Bankruptcy Issues" »

The government's plan to kill its mortgage modification program will likely have a minimal impact on consumers; the plan distributed only about $1 billion of the $50 billion earmarked for foreclosure prevention as banks fought the government every step of the way.

For many trying to stop foreclosure in Atlanta, even acceptance turned out to be a disaster. Reports are commonplace of banks using the program to grant temporary assistance, only to reject permanent modification and use the resulting arrears to file foreclosure action. In other cases, homeowners fought for more than a year to get meaningful relief, only to be denied.

Consulting a bankruptcy lawyer in Atlanta who is familiar with the options for dealing with bad mortgage debt is your best option. Even short sales or strategic defaults could result in severe financial consequences if your bank pursues a deficiency judgment -- which it may do for up to 10 years.

The New York Times reports Republicans have voted to kill the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). While Democrats may try to revive it, even they admit the program has been an abysmal failure.

More than 225,000 foreclosure filings were recorded in February, according to RealtyTrac -- putting the country on pace to record another record year of home losses. And home prices have declined for the sixth straight month -- very near their lows, which would put the housing market in a double-dip recession.

A review of the program recently determined that the government's only enforcement powers come if a bank is offering too much assistance -- which has been anything but the problem. The program helped little more than 600,000 of the 1.5 million who applied. At its launch, the government had hoped to modify as many as 4 million loans.

Banks routinely lost paperwork and made it as difficult as possible to apply -- frequently telling mortgage holders they needed to be delinquent to qualify.

-Despite the epic antics of the banking industry, treasury officials have not fined a single mortgage servicer.

Those looking to appeal a denial by a mortgage servicer must start by participating in counseling via a hotline established by the mortgage industry.

Continue reading "Mortgage Assistance Program Fails -- Struggling Atlanta Homeowners Best Served by Qualified Attorney" »