BMJ 2014;348:g1237 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g1237 (Published 30 January 2014)
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NEWS One in four US families reports financial burdens due to medical costs, government study finds Michael McCarthy Seattle
About a quarter (27%) of US families reported that medical costs had imposed a burden on their finances, said a new government report.1 It also noted that one in six families (16%) had problems paying medical bills and that one in 10 (9%) had bills that they were unable to pay.
In the report Robin A Cohen and Whitney K Kirzinger, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, looked at data collected by the National Health Interview Survey in 2012 before full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Families with lower incomes were most likely to report financial burdens due to medical costs, with about one in three (34%) reporting difficulties. Lower incomes were defined as those at or below 250% of the federal poverty level—about $59 000 (£36 000; €43 000) for a family of four or $29 000 for a single person.
“Families with children were more likely than families without children to experience problems paying medical bills, to have
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medical bills that they were unable to pay at all (a subgroup of those having problems paying medical bills), or to have medical bills that they had been paying over time,” the researchers wrote. Although families in which some members lacked health insurance were more likely to experience financial burdens as a result of healthcare, one in five (21%) of those in which all family members had insurance reported that medical costs had imposed a financial burden. Having one family member whose care imposed a substantial financial burden “may place the entire family’s ability to pay medical bills and overall financial wellbeing at risk,” the researchers said. 1
Cohen RA, Kirzinger WK. Financial burden of medical care: a family perspective. National Center for Health Statistics data brief No 142. Jan 2014. www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/ db142.htm.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g1237 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS One in four US families reports financial burdens due to medical costs, government study finds Michael McCarthy Seattle
About a quarter (27%) of US families reported that medical costs had imposed a burden on their finances, said a new government report.1 It also noted that one in six families (16%) had problems paying medical bills and that one in 10 (9%) had bills that they were unable to pay.
In the report Robin A Cohen and Whitney K Kirzinger, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, looked at data collected by the National Health Interview Survey in 2012 before full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Families with lower incomes were most likely to report financial burdens due to medical costs, with about one in three (34%) reporting difficulties. Lower incomes were defined as those at or below 250% of the federal poverty level—about $59 000 (£36 000; €43 000) for a family of four or $29 000 for a single person.
“Families with children were more likely than families without children to experience problems paying medical bills, to have
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
medical bills that they were unable to pay at all (a subgroup of those having problems paying medical bills), or to have medical bills that they had been paying over time,” the researchers wrote. Although families in which some members lacked health insurance were more likely to experience financial burdens as a result of healthcare, one in five (21%) of those in which all family members had insurance reported that medical costs had imposed a financial burden. Having one family member whose care imposed a substantial financial burden “may place the entire family’s ability to pay medical bills and overall financial wellbeing at risk,” the researchers said. 1
Cohen RA, Kirzinger WK. Financial burden of medical care: a family perspective. National Center for Health Statistics data brief No 142. Jan 2014. www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/ db142.htm.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g1237 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
