Profiting From the Poor

Inside Memphis’ Debt Machine

An investigation into what keeps poor people poor in a city where wages are low.

Impact of Our Reporting

What Happens After a Debt Collection Machine Grinds to a Halt

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

October 2, 2020, 6:00 am EDT

We Reported on a Nonprofit Hospital System That Sues Poor Patients. It Just Freed Thousands From Debt.

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

September 24, 2019, 5:30 pm EDT

“Humbled”: Nonprofit Christian Hospital Dials Back Aggressive Debt Collection and Raises Wages After Our Investigation

by Wendi C. Thomas and Deborah Douglas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

July 30, 2019, 6:28 pm EDT

Nonprofit Christian Hospital Suspends Debt Collection Lawsuits Amid Furor Over Suing Its Own Employees

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

July 3, 2019, 10:01 am EDT

Millionaire CEO of Nonprofit Hospital That Sues the Poor Promises Review of Policies

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

July 1, 2019, 6:13 pm EDT

16 stories published since 2019

Nonprofit Hospital Almost Never Gave Discounts to Poor Patients During Collections, Documents Show

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

December 4, 2020, 1:30 pm EST
Our Journalists Stopped Calling People Hard-to-Reach and Listened to Them. Here’s What Worked.

by Beena Raghavendran and Maya Miller, ProPublica, with Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

December 30, 2019, 1:17 pm EST
What It Looks Like When a Hospital We Investigated Erases $11.9 Million in Medical Debt

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

December 24, 2019, 6:00 am EST
Sen. Chuck Grassley Wants a Hospital System That Sued Poor Patients to Explain Itself

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

December 10, 2019, 6:00 am EST
This Doctors Group Is Owned by a Private Equity Firm and Repeatedly Sued the Poor Until We Called Them

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, with Maya Miller, Beena Raghavendran and Doris Burke, ProPublica

November 27, 2019, 1:00 pm EST
Have You Been Sued by a Hospital, Doctor or Other Medical Institution? Tell Us About It.

by Beena Raghavendran and Maya Miller, ProPublica, and Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

October 16, 2019, 4:59 am EDT
Journalists, We’re Sharing Our Tips From Patients With Medical Debt. Want Them?

by Maya Miller

October 16, 2019, 4:58 am EDT
Thousands of Poor Patients Face Lawsuits From Nonprofit Hospitals That Trap Them in Debt

by Maya Miller and Beena Raghavendran

September 13, 2019, 5:00 am EDT
Stop Suing Patients, Advocates Advise Memphis Nonprofit Hospital System

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

July 30, 2019, 1:00 pm EDT
Have You Been Sued by a Hospital, Doctor or Other Memphis Institution? Tell Us About It.

by Beena Raghavendran, ProPublica, and Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

June 28, 2019, 6:00 pm EDT
Low-Wage Workers Are Being Sued for Unpaid Medical Bills by a Nonprofit Christian Hospital That Employs Them

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

June 28, 2019, 7:00 am EDT
The Nonprofit Hospital That Makes Millions, Owns a Collection Agency and Relentlessly Sues the Poor

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

June 27, 2019, 6:00 am EDT
How We Tallied Medical Debt Lawsuits and Wage Garnishments in Memphis

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, and Lylla Younes and Doris Burke, ProPublica

June 27, 2019, 5:59 am EDT
This Memphis Hospital System Flouts IRS Rules by Not Publicly Posting Financial Assistance Policies

by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

June 27, 2019, 5:59 am EDT

Topics We Cover

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Profiting From the Poor

Impact of Our Reporting

What Happens After a Debt Collection Machine Grinds to a Halt

We Reported on a Nonprofit Hospital System That Sues Poor Patients. It Just Freed Thousands From Debt.

“Humbled”: Nonprofit Christian Hospital Dials Back Aggressive Debt Collection and Raises Wages After Our Investigation

Nonprofit Christian Hospital Suspends Debt Collection Lawsuits Amid Furor Over Suing Its Own Employees

Millionaire CEO of Nonprofit Hospital That Sues the Poor Promises Review of Policies

Nonprofit Hospital Almost Never Gave Discounts to Poor Patients During Collections, Documents Show

Our Journalists Stopped Calling People Hard-to-Reach and Listened to Them. Here’s What Worked.

What It Looks Like When a Hospital We Investigated Erases $11.9 Million in Medical Debt

Sen. Chuck Grassley Wants a Hospital System That Sued Poor Patients to Explain Itself

This Doctors Group Is Owned by a Private Equity Firm and Repeatedly Sued the Poor Until We Called Them

Have You Been Sued by a Hospital, Doctor or Other Medical Institution? Tell Us About It.

Journalists, We’re Sharing Our Tips From Patients With Medical Debt. Want Them?

Thousands of Poor Patients Face Lawsuits From Nonprofit Hospitals That Trap Them in Debt

Stop Suing Patients, Advocates Advise Memphis Nonprofit Hospital System

Have You Been Sued by a Hospital, Doctor or Other Memphis Institution? Tell Us About It.

Low-Wage Workers Are Being Sued for Unpaid Medical Bills by a Nonprofit Christian Hospital That Employs Them

The Nonprofit Hospital That Makes Millions, Owns a Collection Agency and Relentlessly Sues the Poor

How We Tallied Medical Debt Lawsuits and Wage Garnishments in Memphis

This Memphis Hospital System Flouts IRS Rules by Not Publicly Posting Financial Assistance Policies

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