Half of Insured Americans Owe Medical Debt, Boosted by Covid

(Bloomberg) -- More than half of Americans have medical debt -- whether they have health insurance or not.

A recent survey of 1,250 U.S. adults found that 56% owe health-related debt and almost one in six people with medical bills aren't currently paying it off. A large chunk of the debt came from Covid-19 treatment and testing, according to the poll conducted by Affordable Health Insurance.

Almost a quarter of Americans with medical debt owed more than $10,000 -- something unheard of in other developed countries.

One striking finding from the survey is that having insurance or not made little difference. In fact, 61% of respondents who have employer-provided insurance said they have medical debt. This is largely due to a confusing and patchy coverage system that includes copays, deductibles and out-of-network coinsurance -- often leading to denials of claims. 

The leading source of unpaid bills in the survey were emergency-room visits, followed by hospitalizations and Covid treatments. While the burden on families isn't new in the U.S., the extra debt caused by the pandemic has led to financial hardship for millions.

Unpaid bills that pile up are spilling out into many other aspects of their lives -- including being unable to reimburse other debts, delaying buying a house or even starting a family.

Almost one third of people with medical debt said it's unlikely or very unlikely that they will be able to pay off their medical bills in their lifetime, according to the report.

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