The proportion of Americans in families with problems paying medical bills increased to 19.4 percent in 2007, up from 15.1 percent in 2003, according to a national study released Sept. 24 by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). The study’s findings are detailed in a new HSC tracking report, Trade-Offs Getting Tougher: Problems Paying Medical Bills Increase for U.S. Families, 2003-2007.
The growth translates to more than 57 million Americans in families with medical bill problems in 2007--an increase of 14 million people since 2003, according to findings from HSC’s 2007 Health Tracking Household Survey, a nationally representative survey with information on 18,000 people.
Among people who reported problems paying medical bills, more than half reported that their healthcare providers suggested a payment plan to pay off the bills. Less frequently reported actions included providers offering a discount (16.2 percent), informing patients about sources of free care (6.8 percent) and public assistance (14.6 percent), suggesting that patients take out a loan (11.5 percent), and referring patients to another provider (7.1 percent). Read the report.
