Ralph talks to insurance expert Robert Hunter about another way toward a single-payer healthcare system: buy out the insurance industry. Attorney, Joanna Darcus, tells you how to fight for your rights against predatory student loan debt collectors. And we get Ralph’s take on the Democratic Party’s “Better Deal.”
Robert Hunter is the Director of Insurance at the Consumer Federation of America. He has held many positions in the field, both public and private, including being the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Texas being the President and Founder of the National Insurance Consumer Organization and as an underwriter for Atlantic Mutual and Centennial Insurance Companies.
“If the cost goes up, they do better. Because they end up then turning around next year and just raising the rates.”
Insurance expert, Robert Hunter, on the perverse incentives of insurance companies in the healthcare industry
Joanna K. Darcus is the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Racial Justice Fellow at the National Consumer Law Center. Ms. Darcus represents low-income student loan borrowers of color, using advocacy and litigation to address predatory education and lending practices. She has represented hundreds of low-income consumers sued by debt collectors or struggling with student loans.
Joanna Darcus: “The most important thing is: if you are sued, show up, raise your defenses and ask questions. Get counsel, if not through a legal services organization then find an attorney in your area who has handled debt collection defense cases.”
Ralph: “According to the New York Times, most of the students, once they have lawyers, they’re winning these cases. They’re discharging their debt entirely, because the creditors have fake documentation or missing documents. They can’t prove they own the debt. This is an amazing boomerang against the creditor class.”
Fighting Student Loan Debt/A Better Deal?