Mario Guajardo

A national survey found 32% of privately insured US working-age adults were paying medical bills or debt, showing coverage often did not prevent out-of-pocket strain.
More than a third said they could not cover an unexpected $1K bill, while women, lower-income adults, Southerners, and Black adults reported higher debt rates.
Among insured adults with debt, 64% linked it to hospitals, 43% to office visits, and many said ongoing conditions created several bills.
Participants described denied recommended care and unexpected charges, with some delaying treatment or avoiding questions during visits as debt stress drained savings and basic budgets.
Respondents broadly backed interest-free payment plans, hospital financial aid, and removing medical debt from credit reports; the group urged stronger federal safeguards.

Medical Debt Among Privately Insured U.S. Adults

A study found healthcare spending explained 91% of recent US health insurance premium increases, linking higher insurer-paid claims to most of the pressure on costs.
Across the study period, avg. premiums for privately insured people climbed 78%, while insurer healthcare spending grew 84%, showing medical costs outpaced premium growth.
Researchers said if premiums had matched overall inflation instead, they would have risen ~40%, highlighting how much healthcare spending shaped long-term insurance costs.
By the end of the study period, avg. private health coverage premiums reached ~$7.2K per person across employer-sponsored and individual plans nationwide.
Affordability became a broader issue, with ~half of direct buyers reporting difficulty covering monthly premiums and ~40% of workers worrying too nationwide.
Higher employer-sponsored premium costs were also linked to lower wages and reduced employment as employers absorbed more healthcare spending over time for workers.