Having overwhelming medical debt is a leading factor that leads to people needing to file a bankruptcy in Utah. In the majority of cases I see this arises from the failure of the debtor to have medical insurance. Even if you have medical coverage it is possible to run up huge medical debts your insurance company does not fully pay or the associated costs of prescription drugs and other ongoing medical help.
Can I File Bankruptcy For My Medical Bills?
Yes. There are two types of bankruptcy that can help people eliminate or reduce their medical debts, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can only be filed once every 8 years. Because of this I urge my clients to obtain medical insurance before filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, if they do not already have coverage already. As an example, you could file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and wipe out $50,000 in medical debt, but then have to go into the hospital the next day due to an unexpected car accident and run up another $100,000 in medical debt. At this point, you would not be able to file another Chapter 7 bankruptcy for 8 more years to eliminate that debt. So it is always wise to look into obtaining medical insurance that can help you in the future eliminate the major cause of filing for bankruptcy in Utah.