Medical debt in the U.S.: the Peterson-KFF numbers
🤔 Make it make sense. Did you know about the current state of medical debt across the U.S.?
A study from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF reveals a startling picture: 1 in 12 U.S. adults have unpaid medical bills of at least $250. The burden is especially heavy in the South and rural areas. Despite having insurance, many still struggle with co-pays and deductibles.
Here’s a closer look: Between 2019-2021, states like South Dakota, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Georgia had the highest percentages of adults with medical debt. Interestingly, during this period, only West Virginia had expanded Medicaid coverage.
On the flip side, Hawaii, Washington D.C., and California reported the lowest shares of adults with medical debt.
And get this: Americans owed at least $220 billion in medical debt by the end of 2021.
So, why is it that even with insurance, so many are drowning in medical bills? And what does it say about our healthcare system when the burden of medical debt is so unevenly distributed across the country?
Originally posted on LinkedIn, where the discussion and source links live in the comments.