More deflating news. The
NY Times reports on how unpaid medical bills are creating more of a strain for families, according to a new study from the
Center for Studying Health System Change. The study shows a striking increase in the number of families with medical debt. Here are the highlights:
- 57 million Americans were in families that had problems paying medical bills last year -- a 33% increase from five years ago;
- 75% of people with medical debt *had* health insurance;
- 20% of those with medical bill problems considered filing bankruptcy. About 4% followed through with it (2.2 million Americans).
This study comes out as we see that health care premiums continue to outpace our stagnant wages. Health care, sadly, is becoming a luxury.
Labels: InTheNews, MedicalDebt, Research
posted by Hanh Kim Quach |
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1:33 PM
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