Today, more than 100 million Americans are living with medical debt totaling nearly $200 billion. A recent study found this debt leads to increased rates of eviction, food insecurity and bad health outcomes, regardless of health insurance status or income. While the debt is widespread, it is also unevenly distributed; patients of color disproportionately bear its burden. This is a story we’ve heard too many times before, and it’s time for our nation’s leaders to take action.
This month, Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) has marked Health Literacy Month by educating consumers about medical debt and what they can do to avoid falling victim to this problem. Congress and the Biden administration can implement commonsense reforms to help prevent Americans from sinking further into medical debt.