EDWARDS LEGAL OFFICE, PLLC
Where Law and Compassion Meet TM
ARE YOU BEHIND ON MEDICAL BILLS DUE TO SERIOUS OR RARE DISEASE OR ILLNESS, DISABILITY OR UNFORSEEN SURGERY?
Medical debt can have a negative impact on an individual’s financial health beyond the immediate costs of paying for medical care. If a doctor does not get paid, the debt is sent to collections, and individuals can face adverse events such as decreased access to credit, increased likelihood of bankruptcy, or costly and lengthy collection litigation—which can result in wage garnishment or seizure of personal property. There is a real “Medical Debt Burden in the United States” according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The growing burden of medical debt leads up to 70% of Americans to forgo basic necessities to pay off debt. In addition to the growing costs of medical care, hospitals across the country have adopted aggressive billing and collection practices affecting families of hardworking Americans unable to pay for medical care. More than one in four Americans have trouble paying for recent medical bills.
ARE THE CONSTANT AND HARASSNG CALLS MADE BY DEBT COLLECTORS, AT HOME AND YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT?
The Texas Debt Collection Act is the state’s version of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Both aim to protect consumers against unfair collection practices. The Texas act covers the same areas as the FDCPA; they both prohibit debt collectors from using fraudulent, abusive or misleading tactics during attempts to collect debts. However, the federal law applies only to debt collectors working for designated debt collection agencies and professional lawyers hired for debt collection purposes. The Texas law reaches a broader scope. It applies to anyone attempting to collect a consumer debt, regardless of their affiliations.
Texas’ four-year statute of limitations on debts works alongside the Texas Debt Collection Act. The limited time period means that debt collectors cannot sue individuals in an attempt to collect debts that are more than four years past due.
HAVE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS AND SHUTDOWNS CAUSED YOU FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, INCLUDING LOST WAGES, JOB LOSS OR LOSS OF BUSINESS?
Among workers who were personally affected by the pandemic, 49% say they are earning less money than they did before the outbreak of the coronavirus started. Of employed adults ages 50 and older who experienced a pay cut since the outbreak began, 58% say they’re earning less money than before, compared with 45% of those younger than 50. The survey also shows that about a third in each group say they are now earning more than they did before the pandemic began, while one-in-five in the younger group (vs. 6% of those 50 and older) say they are now earning more than before.