The chapter traces the historical evolution of doctor-patient relationships and the healthcare system from the early 19th century to modern times. It highlights the challenges practitioners faced in the past, the legal breakthroughs in healthcare such as Medicare and Medicaid, the impact on reducing uninsured Americans, and the issues of medical debt and patient rights. The narrative also explores the rise of third-party collection agencies, the disconnect between debt collectors and healthcare, and a unique tactic by the Debt Collective to challenge shadowy debt markets.
Featuring Luke Messac on Your Money or Your Life: Debt Collection in American Medicine. An estimated 100 million people in the US are in debt because they sought medical treatment. Medical debt exacerbates poor and working-class people's physical and psychological suffering while undermining their financial well-being and freedom.
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