What is a common outcome for patients categorized under bad debt?

Patients categorized under bad debt typically represent those who have not paid their medical bills, and as such, they may be pursued by collection agencies to recover the owed amount. This process occurs because healthcare providers often seek to recoup losses from unpaid bills, and engaging collection agencies is a common practice utilized in the healthcare industry to manage these situations.

While the other options present possible scenarios in some circumstances, they do not align accurately with the typical outcome for patients classified as bad debt. For instance, patients do not usually receive immediate payment plans or additional financial aid as a standard procedure when in bad debt, nor are they typically reassessed for eligibility of care solely due to financial delinquency. The focus is primarily on debt recovery, thus highlighting why the pursuit by collection agencies is the most relevant outcome in this context.