DALLAS - In 2003, a national outcry arose against hospitals that used overly aggressive billing and debt-collection practices against patients. Those practices included slapping liens on patients' homes, seizing their bank accounts and arresting a debtor who failed to appear for a court hearing.

The complaints caught the attention of lawmakers and justice officials at the state and federal level. Today, hospitals say they've changed some policies and are making a good-faith effort to work with patients having trouble paying their medical bills.