I have relatives that went their entire lives with good to perfect credit only to be hosed by medical bills after they lost jobs. Collections ****s your credit up as well, whats more important to your family, paying the medical bills or keeping the roof over yours and your families head and keeping them fed? sadly this is a much more common than not scenario with the blowconomy and i dont think that should be held against someone trying to get back on their feet. Now if its blatant dereliction of responsibility on credit or loans, thats another thing, but i dont see how its fair for the people like i have mentioned.
99% of the time Medical bills will NOT go to collections if you pay SOMETHING every month, even if it is only 5 or 10 dollars. and even people on unemployment waste more than that on cigs and booze and other unneccessary stuff. I have been in that position before.