Readers Sound Off on Wage Garnishment, Work Requirements, and More

Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection.

We edit for length and clarity and require full names. Who Really Collects in the Wage Garnishment Game?

I was a consumer bankruptcy attorney for years during the global financial crisis of 2008 (pre-Affordable Care Act). Around 40% of the bankruptcies were caused by medical debts uncovered by insurance.

With the effectiveness of the ACA, the number of bankruptcies in Colorado plummeted. My comment on “ State Lawmakers Seek Restraints on Wage Garnishment for Medical Debt ” (Feb.

20)? BC Services acts as if it is garnishing these wages to keep rural hospitals, medical providers, etc.

in business. The likely reality is that BC Services (and other collection operations) takes “90-day-overdue” bills — which may or may not have ever been delivered to the patient; usually disregards whether the hospital has offered the patient a reasonable repayment schedule; and then keeps 50% or more of the debt, along with its attorneys’ fees and costs.