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Jonas’ Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System, 8th Edition

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Jonas’ Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System, 8th Edition

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This is a whole 🤬 book. I'll probably just skim through it

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Housing and Health: A Social Ecological Perspective on the US Foreclosure Crisis.

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Housing and Health: A Social Ecological Perspective on the US Foreclosure Crisis.

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Long read, but definitely helpful

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Medical debt brings Missouri residents from the emergency room to the courtroom.

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Medical debt brings Missouri residents from the emergency room to the courtroom.

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I found this article on lib.slu, but I'm guessing I have to request this article.

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(OFF CAMPUS USERS: You have requested access to a subscription database, book, or journal available only to current Saint Louis University students, faculty, and staff. This message and required login appears the first time you request a subscription resource during a browser session from a computer outside the SLU campus network.)

If you do not know your SLUNet ID and password, please follow the instructions on the Off-Campus Access page, contact Information Technology Services (ITS) at (314) 977-4000 or go to one of the five IT Service Desks listed on the How to Get Help - IT Service Desks page.

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Saint Louis University Libraries | Saint Louis University

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(OFF CAMPUS USERS: You have requested access to a subscription database, book, or journal available only to current Saint Louis University students, faculty, and staff. This message and required login appears the first time you request a subscription resource during a browser session from a computer outside the SLU campus network.)

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Living in the Red: Medical Debt and Housing Security in Missouri

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These are just articles written about UCC's donations

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These are just articles written about UCC's donations

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ST. LOUIS - Thousands of St. Louis families will soon be freed from medical debt thanks to local churches and the Deaconess Foundation. Millions of dollars will be poured into local neighborhoods allowing for families' medical debt to be forgiven.

Local, regional and national leaders of the United Church of Christ announced Jan. 18 that church donations have wiped out $12.9 million in medical debt for 11,108 households in and around St. Louis. Families received letters telling them that their debt, averaging $1,167, has been forgiven.

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11,108 St. Louis households freed from medical debt

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ST. LOUIS - Thousands of St. Louis families will soon be freed from medical debt thanks to local churches and the Deaconess Foundation. Millions of dollars will be poured into local neighborhoods allowing for families' medical debt to be forgiven. Local, regional and national leaders of the United Church of Christ announced Jan.

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ST. LOUIS - Thousands of St. Louis families will soon be freed from medical debt thanks to local churches and the Deaconess Foundation. Millions of dollars will be poured into local neighborhoods allowing for families' medical debt to be forgiven.

Local, regional and national leaders of the United Church of Christ announced Jan. 18 that church donations have wiped out $12.9 million in medical debt for 11,108 households in and around St. Louis. Families received letters telling them that their debt, averaging $1,167, has been forgiven.

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11,108 St. Louis households freed from medical debt

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ST. LOUIS - Thousands of St. Louis families will soon be freed from medical debt thanks to local churches and the Deaconess Foundation. Millions of dollars will be poured into local neighborhoods allowing for families' medical debt to be forgiven. Local, regional and national leaders of the United Church of Christ announced Jan.

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Thousands of St. Louis-area families have been freed from a major financial burden thanks to a charitable effort that's increasingly popular among churches and other groups - eliminating medical debt

ST. LOUIS -- Thousands of St. Louis-area families were freed from a major financial burden thanks to a charitable effort that is increasingly popular among churches and other organizations trying to help the needy - eliminating medical debt.

Money raised at more than a dozen United Church of Christ congregations and a donation from the St. Louis-based Deaconess Foundation wiped away nearly $13 million in medical debt for 11,108 families in St. Louis city and county. United Church of Christ officials and civic leaders announced details Saturday. The church was also sending letters this weekend to those whose debt was wiped out.

Rebecca Turner, a pastor in Maplewood, Missouri, said that for many families, medical debt is "often so enormous that there is no way to repay it. Very often they lose their homes, their vehicles, their wages are garnished, and once that happens, it's nearly impossible to get out of poverty.

"It's our prayer that for many of the families who receive this forgiveness of debt, it will be a fresh start," Turner said. "We pray it gives them hope."

It is believed that more than 43 million Americans owe $75 billion in past-due medical debt. Hospitals and other health care organizations often write off bills deemed uncollectible, but they also sell the debt to collection agencies at a huge discount, often about 1 cent on the dollar. The collection agencies then make money by seeking payment from debtors who are often poor and lack adequate health insurance.

The St. Louis-area congregations worked with RIP Medical Debt, a New York state-based nonprofit that buys medical debt and works with churches and charitable groups to pay it off.

Thirteen United Church of Christ congregations raised $65,000 and the Deaconess Foundation, a UCC ministry that seeks to improve the health of the St. Louis-area needy, contributed $40,000.

"We recognize access to health care is a persistent challenge for the 1 in 5 children living in poverty in the St. Louis region," said the Rev. Starsky Wilson, CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. "Furthermore, medical debt is a drag on family stability and economic mobility for these families."

United Church of Christ performed a similar service in October in Chicago, using donations to clear $5.3 million in medical debt for 5,888 South Side families with average medical debt of $907 each.

In December, a Los Angeles church, Christian Assembly, raised $53,000 to pay off $5.3 million in medical debt for nearly 6,000 households in Southern California.

The Christian television network TCT, based in Marion, Illinois, wiped out about $2.5 million in medical debt from hundreds of families in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.

RIP Medical Debt spokesman Daniel Lempert said a $10 donation can buy and eliminate as much as $1,000 in delinquent debt. The organization has eliminated more than $1 billion in debt for more than 1 million beneficiaries, he said. Individual family debt forgiveness has ranged from $100 to more than $250,000, Lempert said.

ST. LOUIS -- Thousands of St. Louis-area families were freed from a major financial burden thanks to a charitable effort that is increasingly popular among churches and other organizations trying to help the needy - eliminating medical debt.

Money raised at more than a dozen United Church of Christ congregations and a donation from the St. Louis-based Deaconess Foundation wiped away nearly $13 million in medical debt for 11,108 families in St. Louis city and county. United Church of Christ officials and civic leaders announced details Saturday. The church was also sending letters this weekend to those whose debt was wiped out.

Rebecca Turner, a pastor in Maplewood, Missouri, said that for many families, medical debt is "often so enormous that there is no way to repay it. Very often they lose their homes, their vehicles, their wages are garnished, and once that happens, it's nearly impossible to get out of poverty.

"It's our prayer that for many of the families who receive this forgiveness of debt, it will be a fresh start," Turner said. "We pray it gives them hope."

It is believed that more than 43 million Americans owe $75 billion in past-due medical debt. Hospitals and other health care organizations often write off bills deemed uncollectible, but they also sell the debt to collection agencies at a huge discount, often about 1 cent on the dollar. The collection agencies then make money by seeking payment from debtors who are often poor and lack adequate health insurance.

The St. Louis-area congregations worked with RIP Medical Debt, a New York state-based nonprofit that buys medical debt and works with churches and charitable groups to pay it off.

Thirteen United Church of Christ congregations raised $65,000 and the Deaconess Foundation, a UCC ministry that seeks to improve the health of the St. Louis-area needy, contributed $40,000.

"We recognize access to health care is a persistent challenge for the 1 in 5 children living in poverty in the St. Louis region," said the Rev. Starsky Wilson, CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. "Furthermore, medical debt is a drag on family stability and economic mobility for these families."

United Church of Christ performed a similar service in October in Chicago, using donations to clear $5.3 million in medical debt for 5,888 South Side families with average medical debt of $907 each.

In December, a Los Angeles church, Christian Assembly, raised $53,000 to pay off $5.3 million in medical debt for nearly 6,000 households in Southern California.

The Christian television network TCT, based in Marion, Illinois, wiped out about $2.5 million in medical debt from hundreds of families in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.

RIP Medical Debt spokesman Daniel Lempert said a $10 donation can buy and eliminate as much as $1,000 in delinquent debt. The organization has eliminated more than $1 billion in debt for more than 1 million beneficiaries, he said. Individual family debt forgiveness has ranged from $100 to more than $250,000, Lempert said.

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St. Louis donations wipe away $13 million in medical debt

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Thousands of St. Louis-area families have been freed from a major financial burden thanks to a charitable effort that's increasingly popular among churches and other groups - eliminating medical debt ST. LOUIS -- Thousands of St.

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More than 11,000 St. Louis-area families will learn this week that their medical debt has been paid, thanks to donations from local churches.

United Church of Christ congregations and the Deaconess Foundation announced Saturday they had purchased $12.9 million in medical debt for a fraction of the cost. They worked with the New York-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, which used the donations to purchase the debt from collectors.

Church leaders used Saturday's announcement at Christ the King Church in Black Jack to make the argument that medical debt is a symptom of a system that devalues poor people and people of color - and call for political action.

"We hope this will be a shot of hope into our region, a shot of hope into our neighborhoods; we hope it will challenge and spur other denominations and other churches," said the Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor of Christ the King.

When bills go unpaid, hospitals sell that "bad debt" to collectors for much less. Donations to the RIP Medical Debt are used to buy the debt from the collectors.

The families all live below the federal poverty line. UCC congregations don't know who receives the debt forgiveness, only the neighborhoods where the families live.

Blackmon said the donations bought out debt for families in 78 ZIP codes in the St. Louis region.

Community leaders intentionally announced the debt payments the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, said Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. Church leaders wanted to tie conversations about medical debt to King's work on behalf of those in poverty, he said.

"It's easier to build monuments than to make a better world," Wilson said, quoting a poem about King by writer Carl Wendell Hines Jr. "Building monuments is easy, but so is writing checks."

Wilson and other community leaders - including pastors from other UCC churches, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay of University City and Christian Hospital President Rick Stevens - also used the announcement to encourage support for a ballot initiative that seeks to expand Missouri's Medicaid program.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also," Wilson said, quoting Matthew 6:21. "If their heart went there, it would be easier to get their bodies there as well."

If Missouri had expanded its Medicaid program, there wouldn't be nearly as much debt to forgiven, Blackmon said.

"We hope it will motivate this community to say enough is enough," she said. "If we can take $105,000 and eliminate $12.9 million in debt, we should be holding our elected officials responsible for coming up with solutions and not excuses."

One in five families have problems paying their medical bills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A recent poll from NPR, the T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found 26% of respondents said health care expenses were a serious burden.

Teara Norris is one of those people. Treatment for sickle cell anemia has left her $10,000 in debt, and she's considering filing for medical bankruptcy. She hopes to receive a yellow envelope from RIP Medical Debt next week.

"I don't think people understand how big having good credit is," she said, saying the medical bills had wrecked her credit score. "If that could change possibly, that's something I wouldn't have to worry about."

Norris said the debt has prevented her from furthering her education. If it were paid off, she could focus on creating a better life for her two sons.

"I would be able to go ahead and buy a home for my family, so my children could have a good, stable home to grow up in," she said.

United Church of Christ congregations in Illinois last year bought $5.3 million in debt to relieve families in Chicago using a similar model. Blackmon said she plans to work with congregations in the Northeast and Deep South on medical debt-forgiveness campaigns.
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @Petit_Smudge Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org

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St. Louis Congregations Use Donations To Erase $12.9 Million In Medical Debt

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More than 11,000 St. Louis-area families will learn this week that their medical debt has been paid, thanks to donations from local churches. United Church of Christ congregations and the Deaconess Foundation announced Saturday they had purchased $12.9 million in medical debt for a fraction of the cost.

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This is the article that went with the picture above.

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New research from the American Cancer Society, just published in JAMA Oncology, found that in 2015, 8.7 million years of life were lost to cancer in the USA, which translated into lost earnings of $94 billion. While lung cancer inflicted the heaviest economic toll, breast cancer contributed $6.2 billion. In South Africa, the country's largest medical insurance company, Discovery Health, has recently reported a 45% increase in new cancer cases, while the annual cost of treatment has more than doubled in the past seven years. Breast cancer is the most treated cancer for female Discovery members, which begs the question: What does it cost?

The cost of treating a woman with breast cancer depends on the stage of the disease at the time of her diagnosis and treatment. The stage is expressed on a scale of 0 through IV, with stage 0 describing a non-invasive cancer that remains within its original location, while stage IV describes invasive cancers that have spread to other parts of the body. Simply stated, the earlier the stage, the less expensive the cancer is to treat, and the better the patient's chances are for survival.

Patients with stage 0 breast cancer - often described as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) - will normally receive treatment that is most often a lumpectomy, followed sometimes by radiation therapy. Patients with a stage IV diagnosis - where the cancer has metastasized to other organs such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain - will normally receive multiple treatment options, including: surgery and radiation of the tumour in the breast; lymph node treatment; chemotherapy; hormone therapy; immunotherapy; and radiotherapy for other parts of the body.

The table above left summarizes the costs, in US dollars, for 24 months of treatment after the original diagnosis. Note that the fourth column compares the cost for stages I to IV as a ratio of the stage 0 cost. Although the actual costs vary between countries, the ratios are essentially similar, whether these are for the USA, Canada, United Kingdom or South Africa.

These data clearly demonstrate that if the breast cancer is detected early enough - before the woman can even palpate a lump or has any obvious symptoms - the cost to treat her will be significantly less than a late diagnosis when the disease has progressed to stage IV. This represents a substantial savings, from over $100,000 in the USA to more than R250,000 in South Africa's public sector. These savings will accrue to the payer - the patient, her medical insurance company, or the public healthcare system.

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New research from the American Cancer Society, just published in JAMA Oncology, found that in 2015, 8.7 million years of life were lost to cancer in the USA, which translated into lost earnings of $94 billion. While lung cancer inflicted the heaviest economic toll, breast cancer contributed $6.2 billion.

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This is the average cost per patients with breast cancer.

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While my research question is about medical debt, I believe that it plays a large factor in the homelessness situation here in Saint Louis.

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Medical Debt Forgiveness through Donations

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Medical Debt Forgiveness through Donations

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Contributions from local churches, regional bodies, the national office and inspired individuals, matched in part by a generous investment from the Deaconess Foundation, have wiped out almost $13 million in debt for low-income households in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County.

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More than 11,000 families in St. Louis will soon be learning that their outstanding medical debt has been forgiven through donations from the United Church of Christ.

Contributions from local churches, regional bodies, the national office and inspired individuals, matched in part by a generous investment from the Deaconess Foundation, have wiped out almost $13 million in debt for low-income households in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County. UCC leaders shared the news Jan. 18 at Christ the King United Church of Christ, in Florissant, Mo. That congregation birthed the idea that triggered this effort, to honor their pastor's 10 th year of leadership, and raised $15,450 for the cause.

Their pastor, the Rev. Traci Blackmon, also associate general minister of UCC , shepherded the initiative that was quickly joined by Justice and Local Church Ministries Christ Church UCC in Maplewood, Mo., and its pastor, the Rev. Rebecca Turner. "The initiative was a no-brainer for us. As Christian people who walk in the steps of Jesus, it is our joy and duty to care for our neighbor." Christ Church gave $17,000 from a designated "Health Fund" that "sat stagnant for years because we lacked a vision for what to do with the money," Turner said. On top of that, the congregation contributed additional donations totaling more than $24,000.

At the Saturday-morning news conference, which kicked off the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend festivities at Christ the King, clergy and local leaders announced the December purchase of medical debt of 11,108 households, primarily concentrated in south and west St. Louis. UCC church groups raised almost $105,000 and partnered with the New York-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to buy the debt at pennies on the dollar. In addition to gifts from Christ the King and Christ Church and the $40,000 match by the Deaconess Foundation, generous contributions came from 12 other UCC congregations, the UCC Missouri Mid-South Conference Council, the St. Louis Association and Justice and Local Church Ministries.

When Blackmon announced the amount of debt forgiven - $12,967,350.75 - she got a standing ovation from the crowd in the sanctuary.

"Today, we come to honor Dr. King by forgiving the medical debt of 11,000 families in St. Louis city and county," said Missouri Mid-South Conference Minister the Rev. Ginny Brown Daniel, naming each church that collectively donated more than $60,000 "so that the health of St. Louis families would be freed from oppressive medical bills. But we cannot stop there. We must speak out against the injustices of our healthcare system that caused the outrageously inflated medical bills to begin with."

Qualifying debtors were those earning less than two times the federal poverty level; in financial hardship, with out-of-pocket expenses that are 5 percent or more of their annual income; or facing insolvency, with debts greater than assets. The average amount forgiven - $1,167. Families in 78 zip codes benefited from the buy.

"While this helps, it does not transform the system. Our commitment now is to work with this body to advocate for change," said the Rev. James Ross, pastor of Pilgrim UCC, St. Louis, another of the contributing churches.

"We recognize access to healthcare is a persistent challenge for the one in five children living in poverty in the St. Louis region. Medical debt is a drag on family stability and economic mobility for these families," said the Rev. Starsky Wilson, President & C.E.O., Deaconess Foundation, noting that his organization made a smart $40,000 investment with a $12.9 million return in the community. "One of the reasons we did it is because we need congregants to be sensitized. With hearts turned, they are inclined to do less service and take more action."

The immediate goal is a ballot initiative in November to expand Medicaid in Missouri, so more families have access to health care. Rick Stevens, president of Christian Hospital, noted that 36 states and Washington, D.C., have already expanded Medicaid. Under Missouri's current 't exceed 22 percent of the poverty level. Stevens said that's $4,500 a year for a family of three. system, non-disabled adults without children are not eligible for Medicaid regardless of how low their income is. Parents with dependent children are only eligible with incomes that don

"Closing health care disparities is an effort that I have led for more than 3 decades," said U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, who joined the church leaders in the call for greater access to health care. "Medical debt is crushing the dreams of many families by limiting their futures."

Teara Norris shared how she and her family are feeling that impact. The mother of two boys, 13 and 1, has sickle cell anemia and "is in the hospital a lot." She also has bills for blood transfusions every three months.

"I did not know those bills would affect my ability to buy a house," Norris said, referring to how they negatively impact her credit report. "The news today almost brought me to tears, because [without the debt] I could provide a better foundation for my family."

The UCC's initiative to forgive medical debt began last fall with a buy in Chicago. Local church, Conference and JWCM dollars were combined in September to abolish $5.3 million in debt for 5,888 families on the city's South Side.

Christ Church was deeply inspired by that announcement. "Medical debt for people teetering on poverty is immoral and unnecessary," said Turner. "For some of the recipients [this buy] may keep them from falling into a cycle from which they can never recover."

Those 11,108 St. Louis families will soon get a yellow envelope bearing a UCC logo informing them their debt has been forgiven. The letter, which names contributing congregations and organizations, reads, "You may never enter the doors of one of our churches but we are the United Church of Christ and we love you. No matter who you are or where you are on life 's journey, you are welcome here. And most importantly, you are beloved by God and your debt has been forgiven."

Norris, with $10,000 in debt, said she considered filing for bankruptcy. She hopes to receive one of those letters.

The initiative does not end here. JWCM will continue to lead the effort to buy medical debt quarterly through General Synod 2021. Blackmon said the effort will reach low-income Americans living in every one of the UCC's geographic regions. The Chicago buy took place in the UCC Great Lakes Region. The St. Louis buy is in the West Central Region. It's expected the third buy will take place in later this spring in the New England Region.

During the UCC 's Giving Tuesday campaign (Dec. 3, 2019), over $112,000 was collected to help fund medical debt buys. While the St. Louis purchase did not tap any of those dollars, it is expected they 'll be used to match gifts raised by local congregations in other regions the UCC serves.

In addition to removing the weight of debt from particular households, the UCC will continue to draw attention to what Blackmon called "the unconscionable cost and profiteering of healthcare in the United States, and its devastating impact on families, as a critical issue as we enter 2020 elections."

Expanding the challenge, Blackmon told those gathered, many of them donors to the effort, that she expects them to vote in November, "not red or blue, but for justice, for Jesus." She invited all who contributed to the St. Louis medical debt buy to take a group photo to mark their commitment.

Photos by TSDitto Photography

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UCC abolishes $12.9 million in medical debt in St. Louis, continuing national initiative

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More than 11,000 families in St. Louis will soon be learning that their outstanding medical debt has been forgiven through donations from the United Church of Christ. Contributions from local churches, regional bodies, the national office and inspired individuals, matched in part by a generous investment from the Deaconess Foundation , have wiped out almost $13 million in debt for low-income households in the city of St.

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Death or Debt? Medical Treatment Study --specifically cancer treatments

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Death or Debt? Medical Treatment Study --specifically cancer treatments

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The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of cancer upon a patient's net worth and debt in the US.

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The things found on lib.slu at the bottom are most likely going to be very helpful

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This picture was taken close to SLU and it illustrates just how big the problem of homeless is here in our community

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Two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key contributor to their financial downfall.

While the high cost of health care has historically been a trigger for bankruptcy filings, the research shows that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has not improved things.

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Filing for bankruptcy is often considered a worst-case scenario.

And for many Americans who do pursue that last-ditch effort to rescue their finances, it is because of one reason: health-care costs.

A new study from academic researchers found that 66.5 percent of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues -either because of high costs for care or time out of work. An estimated 530,000 families turn to bankruptcy each year because of medical issues and bills, the research found.

Other reasons include unaffordable mortgages or foreclosure, at 45 percent; followed by spending or living beyond one's means, 44.4 percent; providing help to friends or relatives, 28.4 percent; student loans, 25.4 percent; or divorce or separation, 24.4 percent.

While the findings are consistent with past studies on bankruptcy, the data also highlight a key new factor: whether the Affordable Care Act has reduced the burden of medical debt for people.

"Despite gains in coverage and access to care from the ACA, our findings suggest that it did not change the proportion of bankruptcies with medical causes," an article on the study published in the American Journal of Public Health states.

More from Personal Finance:
Here's a key way to prevent paying more for your health care than you should
Americans are wary of paying for Trump's family leave proposal, poll finds
Medicare for All could take center stage in the 2020 election. Here's what that means

The number of debtors who cited medical issues as a contributing reason for their bankruptcy actually increased slightly after the law's implementation - 67.5 percent in the three years following the law's adoption versus 65.5 percent prior.

The culprit for the lack of improvement was inadequate health-care insurance, according to a co-author of the research, Dr. David U. Himmelstein, a distinguished professor at Hunter College and founder of advocacy group Physicians for a National Health Program.

"Unless you're Jeff Bezos, people don't have very good alternatives, because the insurance that is available and affordable to people, or that most people's employers provide them, is not adequate protection if you're sick," Himmelstein said.

Most families do not have enough saved for a simple emergency, let alone thousands of dollars in unexpected medical costs. A recent study from personal finance website Bankrate found that only 40 percent of Americans have enough saved to cover a $1,000 emergency expense.

To help combat this problem, Physicians for a National Health Program is advocating for a national Medicare for All program that would broaden insurance coverage for Americans.

"Health insurance is only very partial protection," Himmelstein said. "I liken it to a hospital gown that looks like coverage until you actually inspect it."

The research included 910 Americans who filed for bankruptcy between 2013 and 2016.

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This is the real reason most Americans file for bankruptcy

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Filing for bankruptcy is often considered a worst-case scenario. And for many Americans who do pursue that last-ditch effort to rescue their finances, it is because of one reason: health-care costs. A new study from academic researchers found that 66.5 percent of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues -either because of high costs for care or time out of work.

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According to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine, 42% of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings in two years because of treatment.

The same study found that 62% of cancer patients are in debt because of their treatment.

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According to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine, 42% of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings in two years because of treatment.

The same study found that 62% of cancer patients are in debt because of their treatment.

In the US, the total medical costs for cancer are $80 billion.

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine , 42% of new cancer patients lose all of their life savings in two years because of treatment. The average amount a cancer patient lost was $92,098.

After tracking 9.5 million cancer patients from 2000 to 2012, researchers also learned that 62% of all cancer patients are in debt because of their treatment, and 55% of them owe at least $10,000.

Overall, the total medical costs for cancer are in the US.

Even if you have insurance, it may not cover all the medical costs associated with cancer. From high deductibles to large copayments, cancer patients can end up with a huge stack of bills.

In addition, 40% to 85% of all cancer patients have to quit working while undergoing treatment, which creates a financial burden that can last for six months or longer.

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Study: Almost half of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings

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According to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine, 42% of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings in two years because of treatment. The same study found that 62% of cancer patients are in debt because of their treatment.

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Research shows that about 137.1 million Americans have faced financial hardship this year because of medical costs.

High health-care bills are the No. 1 reason people would consider taking money out of their retirement accounts or filing for bankruptcy.

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For 137 million Americans, they can be the scariest bills to open.

That's the number of adults who have faced medical financial hardship in the past year, research shows.

In fact, medical debt is the top reason that people, regardless of age, would consider cashing in their 401(k)s or other retirement savings, TD Ameritrade found.

And even then, raiding their long-term savings is often not enough. Separate research published this year found that 66.5% of all personal bankruptcies are tied to medical issues.

It's a problem that Bliss Butler knows all too well.

Butler, 59, who lives just outside of Oklahoma City, lost her job at an area museum in 2013. Because it was difficult to make her COBRA medical continuation payments, she ended up uninsured.

Then several health crises cropped up. First, Butler had a kidney stone, which required a trip to the emergency room and a hospital stay, as well as a follow-up visit to a surgery center to remove a stent.

Then, she broke her leg. Because she was still in debt from her previous medical bills, she avoided taking an ambulance. She had to have surgery and that came with a hefty bill for about $60,000.

Another health scare, when Butler experienced heart palpitations, sent her to the ER again.

Today, Butler admits she doesn't know the full tally of her medical debts. Separate invoices appear with alarming numbers such as $36,860.75 and $19,881.58.

It's difficult to understand what they are specifically billing her for, Butler said, not to mention how much she really owes.

Butler said she has already spent all of the $20,000 she had accumulated in her retirement savings.

"I've never been on any kind of public assistance," she said. "I've never been on Medicaid.

"I've always worked for a living."

Now, her next step is likely filing for bankruptcy. That's after years of working, being careful with her money and largely avoiding accumulating other debts.

"I don't think that my particular story is that unusual," Butler said. "There are so many people that are in the same position that I am."

Know your rights

A lack of transparency when it comes to medical billing has inspired Dr. Marty Makary, professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, to work to change the system.

That has included representing patients pro bono in court when hospitals sue them over unpaid bills.

"We have an irrational marketplace where price gouging has become an accepted way of doing business," said Makary, who is author of the book, "The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care - and How to Fix It."

What many consumers don't realize is that it's possible to shop around on price when it comes to the care they receive, Makary said.

Costs can vary widely, from $44,000 for heart surgery at one hospital to $500,000 for the same procedure at another. And research has shown that that disparity does not reflect a difference in the quality of care, Makary said.

Websites like MDsave.com and Sesame.com allow consumers to compare prices, he said.

Even in an emergency situation where you need care immediately, you can take steps to protect yourself financially, he said.

Many medical providers have you sign both health-care and financial consent forms. However, you don't necessarily have to agree to both. "If you don't feel comfortable signing the form, you can put that in the signature line," Makary said.

You can choose to write, "I don't feel comfortable signing my life away financially" or "Did not read" on the signature line, he said.

Negotiate your debts

In the event that you are already saddled with hefty bills, there are still steps you can take to try to alleviate your burden.

Most bills are negotiable before, during and after care, Makary said.

Negotiating is the first step that Dr. Carolyn McClanahan, founder and director of financial planning at advisory firm Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida, tells people to pursue.

Make sure everything on the bill is correct, McClanahan said, and that you actually received all the services they're billing you for.

More from Personal Finance:
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If you still can't afford to pay, check to see if the hospital or medical organization provides charity services and whether you qualify for forgiveness, she said.

If that doesn't work, ask if they will let you set up a payment plan. Some hospitals will be OK with low payments, as long as you're making progress toward the debt, McClanahan said. Plus, they may not charge you interest.

After that, you may think of borrowing against a credit card, home equity line of credit or your 401(k). The key is to compare which offers the best interest rates, McClanahan said, and to be aware of the risks.

"There's always danger in borrowing against a 401(k)," McClanahan said.

One reason for that is if you leave or lose your job, that balance on the loan is due immediately, she said.

Plus, if you're under 59½, you will face a 10% penalty for early withdrawals.

There is an exception to that rule. If your medical bills are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you do not have to pay that 10% penalty, said Molly Passantino, senior specialist of retirement and annuities at TD Ameritrade.

Still, you will lose the opportunity to let your money continue to grow. "We really stress that you should keep money in your retirement account for as long as possible," Passantino said.

Admittedly, many individuals have no choice when faced with high medical bills. That is something Makary is pressing the medical industry to change.

"When somebody gets treated, it they experience financial ruin, that is part of the experience," Makary said. "That is part of how we should evaluate, 'Did we take care of this person when they came to us vulnerable and sick?'"

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patient protection and affordable care act

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centers for medicare and medicaid services

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137 million Americans are struggling with medical debt. Here's what to know if you need some relief

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High health-care bills are the No. 1 reason that people would consider taking money from retirement accounts or filing for bankruptcy. If you're grappling with invoices you just can't pay, there are some steps you can take to try to alleviate the burden.

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Should Saint Louis implement medical debt forgiveness programs?

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There aren't that many resources for people struggling with medical debt.

This reinforces the idea that once someone finds themselves in medical debt, they are lowkey screwed for many many years to come.

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ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- Crushing medical debt weighs on thousands of people in Missouri and Illinois. According to a recent study from the Urban Institute, 18 percent of all people in the United States have medical debt in collections. That's the same percentage in Illinois but in Missouri, the average is higher at 21 percent of the population with medical debt in collections.

Here are some ways to get help.
Register with RIP Medical Debt
RIP Medical Debt can only purchase and forgive a debt that is already in collections. While they do buy debt in bulk, there is a chance RIP can help, but first you would need to register with the company for debt forgiveness. Click here to register
Apply for Financial Assistance/Charity Care from your hospital
According to the Missouri Hospital Association, in 2016 Missouri hospital's provided $718,700,547 in charity care and wrote off $537,665,974 in bad debt. Each hospital has a financial assistance plan or charity care application available to see if you qualify for a reduced bill. It's not just for those below the poverty level, individuals making up for $45,000 a year or a family of 5 with an income of $110,000 could be eligible for some form of assistance.

Mercy Financial Assistance | BJC Healthcare Assistance | SSM Health Financial Assistance
Focus on Hospitals
The Missouri Hospital Association offers up help with their program: Focus on Hospitals. It lists prices for many common hospital procedures and the available self-pay discount at the hospital. This is only helpful if you do not enter the hospital through the emergency room.
Eligibility for Medicaid/Medicare
If you don't have health insurance, many hospitals want to work to see if you qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 and older or have a disability. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage for those with low income. Under the Affordable Care Act, states had the option to expand Medicaid coverage. Illinois expanded Medicaid to cover more low income families, Missouri did not expand Medicaid coverage. Too see if you qualify, click here.
Negotiate with provider before care
This will not work for emergency care, but many providers will provide a discount to patients if asked before setting up an appointment or procedure. You can ask for a cash discount. Also if you have low income inform them before hand and see if you qualify for charity care. You can also ask the provider what they charge Blue Cross/Blue Shield patients or Medicaid patients for the same service. Once you reach an agreement on price, make sure and get it in writing.

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ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- Crushing medical debt weighs on thousands of people in Missouri and Illinois. According to a recent study from the Urban Institute, 18 percent of all people in the United States have medical debt in collections.