An average of 19.8% of Americans collected medical debt.
Medical debt across the United States is associated with poorer physical and mental health and even premature death. new research American Cancer Society research shows that for every $100 increase in medical debt, there are 8 days per 1,000 people who report poor physical health and 8 days of poor mental health per month. The number of days will increase by 6.8 days.
As health care costs continue to rise across the country, affordability remains a significant and persistent challenge for millions of Americans.by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, healthcare spending will reach $4.5 trillion in 2022, which is approximately $13,5000 per person. Of this amount, out-of-pocket spending accounted for $471.4 billion.
Even if it’s over 90% of Americans If you have some type of health insurance, out-of-network costs, high deductibles, and unexpected bills can lead to medical debt. Both insured and uninsured Adults, experts say.
To assess the impact of medical debt on health, the study’s researchers looked at data from nearly 3,000 counties, representing 93% of the country. The authors noted that this is one of the first studies to examine the population-level effects of medical debt. Although the study does not show cause and effect, there is a strong association and adds to existing research suggesting that economic hardship can lead to poorer health outcomes.
Researchers found that just 1% of the population with medical debt causes 18 more physically unhealthy days, 18 more mentally unhealthy days, and an extra year for every 1,000 people. I discovered that lives are lost.
”[Medical debt] is a problem that needs to be addressed systematically,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Xuesong Han, told ABC News.
The study found that counties with higher proportions of non-Hispanic blacks, higher proportions of the population with lower levels of education, higher proportions of people living below the poverty level, and higher proportions of the uninsured and unemployed were more likely to receive health care. The proportion of people in debt tends to be higher. Across all counties, an average of 19.8% of Americans had medical debt in collections. Geographically, the counties with the highest medical debt burdens were in the South, according to the study.
The study authors note that the data they used spanned the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that future research is needed to examine continued changes to health care systems and public health post-pandemic. said it was necessary.
Han said, including “expanding affordable and comprehensive health insurance coverage” and “providing financial navigation and providing relevant resources to patients to minimize negative impacts.” , emphasized the importance of policy efforts focused on addressing this issue.
Dr. Rebecca Yao is an internal medicine resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Dr. Gabriella Cleary is an emergency medicine resident at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.