To the Editor:

The exchange about Mr. Charlap’s medical bill [mailbox. December 31, 2014] reminded me of a situation that occurred some years ago when I was a volunteer teaching English language learners at Literacy Volunteers of Mercer County. One foreign student, who had no insurance, was distressed by a large bill from the University Medical Center. How was she ever going to pay this? A colleague who knew more about the ways of hospital billing volunteered to accompany her to the hospital to discuss the bill. A reduced price ended the problem for her.

But I’ve often wondered about people, foreign or not, who go about finding the money to pay whatever is asked. Does the hospital know the number of people who pay the amount that nobody is expected to pay?

Sybil L. Stokes

Skillman