Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Woj, you should really read up on the issue, you sound like Ebenezer Scrooge man.

The fact is medical bills, and then divorce or death of a spouse, are the #1 and 2 reasons. Followed by the loss of a job.

The idea that people run up debts and then file bankruptcy in order to game the system is like Reagan's "welfare queen" who was supposedly driving a Cadillac.

Those amounts may not sound like alot to you, but to someone making $600 a week with a sick spouse and 3 kids, they're unaffordable. Then, when that hospital that is so reasonable starts garnishing your wages and you can no longer afford groceries for your children, filing bankruptcy to stop the garnishment is often their only option.

Also remember, a medical issue that will run up a 5 figure bill is usually one that will knock you out of work for quite awhile also, resulting in a double whammy of a huge debt and a loss of income.

One last point on bankruptcy in America. One of the reasons we have such a high level of entrepreneurship and a dynamic economy is because of the generosity of our bankruptcy laws.
People are more willing to take risks because they know if it doesn't work out they can start over again. (They'll have 7 years of bad credit, but they won't be garnished for the rest of their life or throw in debtors prison)