In Surveys Note Americans’ Medical Debt Grows as Economy Worsens,
Workforce.com writes: The economic downturn is leading to an increase in unpaid medical bills that large employers may end up subsidizing in the coming months through premium increases and spikes in medical costs.
Saying they are forced to choose between food, housing, transportation and other necessities, Americans are increasingly unable to pay their medical bills, leading many into deep medical debt, according to several surveys released recently. Medical experts at the The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in October that one in three Americans report trouble paying medical bills, while 18 percent of Americans say their medical bills have totaled more than $1,000 in the past year.
The weakening economy isn’t affecting only the uninsured. Medical debt is particularly common among Americans with high-deductible plans, the Commonwealth Fund reported. The New York-based health policy research organization said 53 percent of adults whose deductible equaled or exceeded 5 percent of their income “incurred medical bill burdens and debt.”
