Guido Osso was insured when he entered the hospital for treatment of a stroke, but it turned out he was one of millions of “under-insured” individuals whose policies are inadequate for their needs. When his coverage ran out, the hospital charged him nearly 4 times the discounted rate it would have charged his insurance carrier – and went back and billed him the difference for the period the insurance had covered. Then, when he couldn’t pay (he had been completely disabled by his illness), the hospital took him to court, to put a lien on his house. The story highlighted the problem of under insurance, hospital billing practices that charge the most to those who can’t afford it, and hte crushing burden of medical debt.
