Nearly one in three (32%) working-age adults with private insurance are paying off medical bills or debt over time, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Among those with medical debt, 37 percent used all or part of their savings to pay their bills, 30 percent delayed or avoided needed health care, and 30 percent cut back on basic necessities, including food, heat, or rent.
The report, How Medical Bills and Debt Impact Americans with Private Insurance, draws on findings from a Commonwealth Fund survey of adults ages 19 to 64 with private insurance through an employer, an Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plan, or an individual insurance market plan. The researchers also held eight online focus groups.