Doctors offering no interest loans to patients

The U.S. medical treatments are too expensive for some people. Ithey should be covered by their medical insurance, but sometimes they are not. Therefore, doctors and dentists’ offices are working with consumer credit banks that offer their patients a no interest loan, in exchange of a 10% fee of the ordinary treatment cost. Hence, consumer credit is making it easier for Americans to access to a $3.500 laser eye surgery or a $6.000 tooth implant. However, not everybody has access to that kind of credit. It is necessary to be credit-worthy, to have health insurance and doctors recommend to be sure that you can pay it. Furthermore, when someone does not pay the loan on schedule, he or she will be charged with a default penalty interest rate (very high).

I chose this New York Times article because it is interesting to see how the health system works in the U.S. and how is the health industry being promoted from consumer credits. First, I found that around 47 million people are uninsured, which means that they do not have health coverage. Second, the health insurance normally does not include vision or dental coverage. And third, some consumer credit banks are promoting not only the necessary health treatments but also the beauty interventions. I think it is good to have credit access to all kind of medical and dental treatments, but the health insurance should cover some of them that are necessary for the patient. In addition, people without health insurance must have access to credit because it is the only chance they have to have health care.

By Juanita
EAP2 B