What are the Consequences of Health Care Debt Among Older Adults?

(By Alex Cottrill, Tricia Neuman, Lunna Lopes, and Liz Hamel for The Kaiser Family Foundation Published: Jul 26, 2024)

Health care debt is a widespread problem in the United States, garnering the attention of some policymakers and emerging as a potential campaign issue. A 2022 KFF survey found that 2 in 5 US adults (41%) of all ages report some form of debt due to medical or dental bills for their own or someone else’s care. Nearly three-quarters of adults say they are worried about affording unexpected medical bills or the cost of health care services, higher than the shares who report worrying about affording other household expenses. The Medicare program, which provides health insurance coverage to 66 million people, most of whom are older adults ages 65 or older, helps to cover the cost of medical care for those who qualify, yet health care cost-related problems among Medicare-age adults are not uncommon and leave many exposed to debt, with potentially serious and long-lasting health and financial consequences. Continue reading here…

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