Good News, Bad News for Healthcare Creditors

The good news for creditors, of which the largest is the healthcare industry, is that consumer lawsuits against creditors and accounts receivable management agencies fell by 10 percent for the first half of July as compared to one year ago. Our sister publication, insideARM.com, reports that this continues a trend in 2012 where fewer consumers are filing suits claiming violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

The bad news is that unemployment increased slightly in June from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent, despite the creation of 163,000 new jobs. Unemployment and underemployment are the biggest reasons people go without health insurance. The U-6 measure, which counts everyone that has stopped looking for work or is working part time against their wishes, also increased slightly to 15 percent. But it’s the fourth-straight month of small increases in the U-6, often referred to by economists as the “real” unemployment rate.