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Title: Medical Debt in Collections among Counties by Rural Urban Location and Racial-Ethnic Composition
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2024
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Abstract: Medical debt, or medical costs owed for health care services, is a pressing issue across the U.S., with implications for health and well-being for those facing debt burden. While recognition of medical debt as a social problem is growing, details about who is most at risk of holding this debt remain less clear. We address this gap by examining the differences in the proportion of people with medical debt in collections and median amount of medical debt by rural-urban location. We also focus on additional differences within rural and urban communities of color. The high cost of health care and associated medical debt in the U.S. persist as pressing social issues with an estimated over 100 million people having some medical debt.1,2 The consequences of medical debt are wide-reaching. Beyond the financial and household budget strain, individuals also report being denied, delaying, or not seeking health care because of cost and debt with repercussions for health, mental health, and well-being
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Authors: Swendener, Alexis; MacDougall, Hannah; Jacobson, Ingrid; Schroeder, Jonathan; Henning-Smith, Carrie
Publisher: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Population Health and Health Systems
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