Payers, Policy

CDC survey: 1 in 7 families had problems paying medical bills

The number of families reporting problems paying medical bills decreased between 2011 and 2018, according to a survey published by the Centers for Disease Control in February. But more than 14% of individuals still said their families had problems paying bills in the last year.

The number of families struggling to pay medical bills declined slightly since 2011, but one in seven still had problems in 2018, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC recently released the results of its latest National Health Interview Survey, which involves in-person interviews with roughly 35,000 U.S households.

According to the new data, the number of families reporting problems paying medical bills decrease from 19.7% in 2011 to 14.2% in 2018. These debts have a ripple effect — people in families struggling with medical bills may also have problems paying for food, clothing or housing. A previous survey conducted by the CDC during the Great Recession showed two-thirds of families that had problems paying for healthcare costs also had problems paying for other necessities, and a quarter of them were considering bankruptcy.

For respondents under age 65, the largest group that faced medical debt were those in households without any insurance, at 27.7%. But families with coverage still struggled. 20.1% of families covered by Medicaid and 11.9% of families with private coverage had problems paying for bills that year.

The burden of medical debt fell heavier on some groups than others. According to the CDC survey, 16.2% of children and 20.6% of non-Hispanic black individuals said their families had problems with medical bills.

Women were also slightly more likely than men to face difficulties paying medical bills, at 14.7% and 13.8% respectively.

Interestingly, for seniors, those with private coverage or Medicare Advantage plans reported fewer problems covering bills. 12.3% of dual-eligible seniors (covered by Medicare and Medicaid) and 12.4% of seniors covered by traditional Medicare plans struggled with health bills. Meanwhile, just 8.4% of seniors with Medicare Advantage plans and 5.6% of those with private coverage said their family had problems with medical bills in the last 12 months.

 

Photo credit: lbodvar, Getty Images

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