Medical debt lawsuits across Minnesota have surged to the highest level in five years, according to a new analysis by independent nonprofit Pew.

When patients are unable to pay their medical bills and fall into debt, hospitals and health care providers often turn over that debt to collection agencies, and eventually they can be sued by the provider or a collection firm for payment. Lester Bird, a senior manager with Pew Charitable Trusts, said those lawsuits can come with financial repercussions such as having your wages garnished, and it can also have emotional consequences.

“The impact of having to go to court is huge, right?” Bird said. “People are scared that they might get arrested or go to jail for these unpaid debts. It's not true for the most part, but you know, this is the sort

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