Pillowtex workers owe $5 to $6 mill to doctors

[Abigale Applewhite]

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Posted on Sat, Aug. 16, 2003

Pillowtex workers may owe medical bills
'Surprising and disturbing' news
Associated Press


Thousands of Pillowtex workers who lost their jobs last month may owe $5 million to $6 million to doctors, hospitals and other health providers for medical care they received before the company shut down.


More than 5,000 Pillowtex employees in North Carolina lost their jobs and their health coverage July 30, when the textile giant closed five North Carolina plants in the largest layoff in state history. And they may be liable for outstanding medical bills that Pillowtex didn't pay before declaring bankruptcy.


"It's very surprising and disturbing, too," said Diane Russell, 57, who worked at Plant One in Kannapolis before losing her job last month.


Russell, a diabetic with high blood pressure, wonders whether she may be billed soon for doctor visits or prescriptions that hadn't been paid when Pillowtex folded.


"I have been working there for 30 years," Russell said. "They were taking out of our checks, you know, to pay those bills."http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/6549774.htm

[AnnabelLee]

1. That's what happened to my husband

He got a herniated disk at work, had to have two surgeries, lots of PT, meds, etc. Then, several months after his employer ceased operations with no warning, the bills they never paid started rolling in. We will probably declare bankruptcy because of them.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Really sorry to hear of your plight

I would think that the companies Workmans comp insurance should still cover those bills for an on the job injury? I would contact them and see what they say. You may need a lawyer?

Don

[AnnabelLee]

10. The company was self-insured

The company was supposed to pay all of the bills itself. My husband has a lawyer who is supposedly the best in the state in workers' comp. cases, he helped to write the laws. Since the company went out of business, there isn't much to be done.

[NNN0LHI]

11. I was afraid you were going to say that

That is really bad news. Best of luck.

Don

[MiltonLeBerle]

14. That also means that COBRA is not an option either-

thta sucks.

[pfitz59]

18. Send the bill to Liddy Dole!

Or Jesse Helms or any of the the other NC reich-wingers!

[Abigale Applewhite]

7. Oh For Hillary's Insurance Program

I think health care is a born right for American Citizens, with out the republicans we would have coverage. We are almost or the only industrailized country without health care. Isn't that a shame...

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Don't worry!

Maximum John A$$KKKroft will take down those filthy, filthy porn dealers!!!!

Oops...wait...wrong story. Sorry.

[alaine]

3. I don't want to wax biblical on everyone...

but may the demons of hell devour the folks responsible for stuff like this.

I live near Kannapolis, NC where one of the plants was that closed and left 3000 people out of work, so I hear about the repercussions of this every night on the local news. They are currently having two drives, one is a food drive and the other is to provide all the school supplies for the children of the people left jobless (school starts here Monday).

[aquart]

4. Looting workers' funds should be a death penalty offense.

It destroys generations.

[Abigale Applewhite]

5. Right to work law

North Carolina, needs to get rid of the right to work law! And we must bring many different types of business to the state. We have an educational system that affords every one an education , no matter the level of ones intelligent, form the community schools to the University of North Carolina and Duke. And we have been able to keep and education fairly low in cost...but it is becoming more difficult with the Bush, administration and the loss of tax revenue.Tution has risen in all the State Schools.This in itself,might be the catalysts that makes the state turn democratic some time soon. North Carolinians, are very protective of the University of North Carolina.

[short bus president]

17. this is such a huge

kick in the gut for our state. And this doesn't just add insult to injury, it piles on yet more severe injury. Jeezuz! Lose your job one week, and then get stuck with your former employer's bad debt the next? There should be public f*cking floggings for those responsible for this travesty.

[duid12]

8. easy solution...

We need more tax cuts for the rich. If the rich just didn't have to pay so damn much in taxes to the government, all these people could find a job tommorrow...

[LEFTofLEFT]

9. 1/2 of them are most likely repugs - fuck them

my heart goes out to those in the other half that have been fighting the monsters on the right.

it has been clear to anyone watching that the rightwing monsters have been hell bent on the destruction of the world since they drove president Carter out of the white house.

hope through their pain they learn that we must fight the monsters like the future is at stake.

[duid12]

13. not for long

>>1/2 of them are most likely repugs

Probably not for long....

Nothing like an extended bought of unemployment with no good prospects for a change of party designation....

[LEFTofLEFT]

16. we can hope

some of them wack jobs want to give their money to those who are better off

[DemoTex]

12. After the Eastern Airlines Ch. 7 bankruptcy ...

Liquidation trustee Martin Shugrue petitioned the federal bankruptcy judge for massive reductions in EAL retirees' medical benefits. In the same fucking petition he asked for a $600,000 per year increase in his salary. He got both.

[American Renaissance]

15. Frank Lorenzo

In your opinion, did he have a legitimate interest in Eastern and his plan was a failure or do you think he just wanted to loot the company and fold it into Continental?

A friend of the family who used to work for Continental has a box full of Continental L1011 safety cards if your into conspircy theories.

[Noordam]

19. OK I'll bite that is the story with the

L1011 safety card???/

Thanks in advance.

[American Renaissance]

24. Continental didn't fly the L1011,

But around the time of Lorenzo taking Eastern into bankrupcy they printed 1011 safety cards.

Some say that is evidence Lorenzo only wanted to loot Eastern

[philosophie_en_rose]

20. How is it their debt?

If the company paid for medical expenses and is filing bankruptcy, why would the debt fall back upon the workers?

[htuttle]

21. Apparently, the company didn't pay for the medical expenses

From what I understand, the company deducted money from the worker's checks for medical insurance, but didn't use that money to actually pay the premiums.

So, when the worker's insurance went bogus, the doctors are saying the workers have to pay their already incurred (and thought to be insured for) bills with cash, since they were basically uninsured (but didn't know it).

Where I'm from, what the company did is called embezzlement.

[veganwitch]

22. you can bet that the CEOs...

are sleeping soundly

[ProudGerman]

23. Outrageous

I bet this little diddy is in the employment contract too. How much raping will the average American take before they say enough?????

So, how is the company, and its executives getting away with the fact that they were misappropiating funds from their workers checks? If they withheld money from paychecks to pay for insurance, and then didn't use that money for that purpose....... get my drift?

People should be in prison, fines should be levied, and assets siezed (even the private assets of the executives if that is what it will take to pay off the debts). The layed off workers should most definately NOT be liable for the company's debts!

[sandnsea]

25. At least I have a job!!!

At least *I* have a job. That's what the majority of American workers say, salary, benefits, overtime, whatever rights be damned. Take 3 jobs if you must. Don't have any kids. Walk to work. Cut the cable TV and phone. Don't go to the movies. Don't eat out. Don't take vacations. Work work work and be an independent responsible American!

Until *they* get fucked over. Then it's a crisis. But as soon as they find a new job, it's same old shit new day.

I don't understand it.

[Yavin4]

26. Where In The Hell Is John Edwards On This?

He needs to do something for these people.