louisiana bankruptcy laws

louisiana bankruptcy laws
If my hospital has a charity program, can I tell them I don’t have health insurance?…even though I do?

Is it against the law to do this in Louisiana? Because I’m in college and I work part-time (they don’t offer benefits), and I had a little individual plan. When I went to the hospital, the woman at the desk ripped the card out of my hand, and said that if I have insurance I can’t get on the charity program. So, the next day I cancelled the policy even though I’m stuck with the bill ($5000 deductible). Now, I’m thinking about getting the plan back to prevent bankruptcy in the event of an emergency. However, when I go back to the hospital…would it be illegal for me to tell them that I don’t have health insurance (even though I do), that way I can be on the charity program that they put me in since i went back which is free care.

If you have a $5,000 deductible and cannot afford the deductible, you truly do not have insurance. If you cannot afford to get something with a lower deductible I would seriously consider dropping the insurance so that you do not have the moral quandary about lying. In the event of an emergency (as long as you are low income) you should be able to qualify for medicaid and therefore avoid bankruptcy.

Also get the hospital involved in discounting that $5,000 bill that you have from your prior illness and get on a small payment plan maybe $25 a month (just make sure you don’t miss a payment without calling first).

I believe you should concentrate on your college education so that you can eventually get a better paying job with full benefits.

Good Luck.