title: Seeing red: Americans driven into debt by medical bills. Results from a National Survey.
abstract: New analysis of the 2003 Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey reveals that an estimated 77 million Americans age 19 and older--nearly two of five (37%) adults--have difficulty paying medical bills, have accrued medical debt, or both. Working-age adults incur significantly higher rates of medical bill and debt problems than adults 65 and older, with rates highest among the uninsured. Even working-age adults who are continually insured have problems paying their medical bills and have medical debt. Unpaid medical bills and medical debt can limit access to health care: two-thirds of people with a medical bill or debt problem went without needed care because of cost--nearly three times the rate of those without these financial problems.
authors.affiliation: The Commonwealth Fund, USA. mmd@cmwf.org
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Doty
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Alyssa L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Holmgren
mesh_terms: D000067:Accounts Payable and Receivable; D000328:Adult; D016361:Bankruptcy; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States