Open questions about “Joe the Plumber” and his $1200 hospital bill
October 17, 2008
One of the most interesting things about “Joe the Plumber,” currently enjoying his 15 minutes of fame, is that he has an unpaid judgment against him from “St. Charles Mercy Hospital” for about $1200.
I find it interesting that a pretty healthy guy (he works full time as a plumber, even if he’s not licensed) and an ambitious one too (he wants to buy a business that makes >$250,000, though it’s not clear if that’s gross or net) has such a bill.
Does he have health insurance? If so, for what does he owe this prodigious amount? If not, what care might he have possibly purchased that cost ONLY $1200? That’s about the cost of a simple visit to the emergency room, according to the some bills I’ve seen from my insurer.
And how’s he going to save up to buy that lucrative plumbing business, when he’s got a $1200 hospital bill on the books? Will copays squash Joe’s entrepreneureal dream?
