- A study published in JAMA Open Network found that medical debt is setting U.S. adults up for higher risks of eviction, food insecurity, and bad health outcomes regardless of insurance or income. The researchers found that those in poor health had an average of $43,000 in medical debt – almost twice the average of $21,867. People with medical debt were two to three times more likely to be unable to pay rent or utilities and experience eviction than those without health care bills. “Private insurance is a defective product,” one of the study authors said. “You pay for it and then when you get sick, there’s co-payments, there’s deductibles, there’s out-of-network fees, there’s things that aren’t covered at all.” (Study here)
September 19, 2022
Payers