In the face of an economy so volatile that the Federal Reserve increased our interest rates by the largest amount since 1994, the last thing Americans need is more reasons to pinch pennies and hold their breath. However, that’s exactly what they’re forced to do when faced with the prospect of medical debt. So, despite the fact that more Americans have health care coverage than ever before, many are still met with unforeseen costs, high deductibles and toxic bills. This must end.
A new survey of registered voters from Consumers for Quality Care, conducted by Impact Research and Public Opinion Strategies, finds that more than half of respondents could affirm that they or someone close to them had their finances seriously affected by medical bills. That’s astounding. Even worse, nearly 2 in 3 voters say they, or someone they know well, have had a medical bill go into collections.