Those Americans who have suffered the most during the COVID-19 pandemic are also more likely to be saddled with medical bill problems and debt, according to results from a new Commonwealth Fund survey.
Adults ages 19 to 64 who contracted the virus, lost income, or lost their job-based health insurance coverage also reported higher rates of problems with medical bills and debt than people not affected by the pandemic in these ways. People who lost income experienced medical bill problems at the highest rates, especially those who also tested positive or became sick with COVID-19 or lost coverage. The nationally representative survey of adults 19 to 64, fielded between March 9 and June 8, also found that Black and Latinx/Hispanic adults were more likely than white adults to have lost income and faced medical debt.
For many Americans, medical debt is undermining economic security. While federal and state efforts to help people get or maintain insurance may have reduced coverage losses, further action is needed to increase coverage access and affordability, researchers say.
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