The amount of medical debt Americans have accumulated, when combined, is approximately $1 trillion. At present, well over a hundred million Americans are still paying off their, or even their deceased loved one’s, hefty medical bills. Unexpected hospitalizations, surgeries, medical treatments for chronic conditions, or even giving birth are some reasons why one might owe the hospital well over a few grand.
But if medical bills aren’t getting any lower (if anything, they’re continuing to get more expensive), and health insurance only goes so far, what’s the best way to help these millions of Americans pay their hospital dues quicker or even help them avoid further medical debt? A surgeon in Nebraska named Demetrio Aguila has an idea: allow patients to pay off their medical bills by volunteering in their community.
At his clinic, Healing Hands of Nebraska, Dr. Aguila noticed that a good chunk of his patients was struggling to afford the surgeries they needed. Yet, everyone knows that surgery can be a necessary procedure for some individuals, ultimately saving their lives. So, many of his patients had no choice but to accept the burden of debt in exchange for better health or even avoid the surgery they needed and risk further health complications.
So, just six months ago, the nerve specialist decided to introduce a new program that would allow his qualified patients to kiss their medical debt goodbye if they volunteer for local groups that aim to improve human welfare. So far, about 10% of the Nebraska doctor’s patients qualify for the program.
“We can’t ignore the people in our own backyard. We want to be able to offer hope to patients who have lost hope medically,” Dr. Aguila told CBS News.
The doctor doesn’t offer the program only to those who are of a certain social class. Rather, he considers all patients, regardless of their income.
“I don’t care if you’re a multi-billionaire or if you’re the guy on the street corner with a Styrofoam cup. You get offered the same options. Why? Because it’s fair.”
The doctor calculates volunteer hours based on the type of surgery, how long it will take, and how complex it will be.
So far, the medical program has helped many of Dr. Aguila’s patients.
Troy and Bobbi Bowers were thankful to be able to trade donations at a local charity for the payment of Troy’s ankle surgery. Without this alternative way to pay, the Bowers would have been nearly bankrupt.
Another patient of Dr. Aguila is Jeff Jensen, who was able to get surgery for nerve damage in his feet in exchange for 560 hours of volunteer work. He admits he would have not opted for the surgery without this program.
“There’s nothing more depressing than seeing a bill for $18-20-24,000 and going, ‘And how much of this will my insurance cover and how much is mine to cover?’” Jensen mentioned.
For now, the surgeon only has eight people apart of his program but hopes to expand it gradually.
“This whole practice is about restoring hope for patients by giving them the opportunity to wrest back control of their health care,” the doctor said.
Dr. Aguila is definitely leading the way when it comes to finding solutions to the American medical debt crisis. In fact, he says since offering the program, he’s experiencing greater job satisfaction and less stress. A win-win!
Watch the video below to learn more. What are your thoughts about his program?
