The difference is that we are talking about a case where you can pay bills but you just want a discount so you threaten not to pay.

I'm on the same page. But, the hospital doesn't choose their collections strategy just because of one person. They can't see inside your bank account. Most people who can pay, pay. Most people who can't, can't. If they started suing people who couldn't pay, they'd lose money overall, so they don't.

> They can't see inside your bank account.

In the "of course that exists" category, there are services that give a score about somebody's ability to pay.

I really hate how every business process can be (and frequently is) optimized to the nth degree at the cost of privacy.

https://www.equifax.com/business/product/ability-to-pay/

I didn't think of it that way. Thanks. So as long as most people don't try to do this then the negotiating strategy can work.