Are Medical Debts Forcing Americans to Forgo Care?

In the United States, one in ten people report having difficulty paying their medical bills over the past year. This issue particularly affects those without health insurance, but also a significant portion of the insured. The consequences are direct: medical debt greatly increases the risk of delaying or canceling essential care.

Dental care is the most affected. More than one in two people in debt for medical reasons postpone their dental appointments. General medical care follows, with a significant increase in the number of patients avoiding doctor visits. Mental health care is also impacted, though to a lesser extent. These delays in care do not only affect the uninsured. Even with health coverage, medical debt encourages people to postpone treatments, especially for dental care.

Uninsured individuals are the most vulnerable. Nearly one in five accumulates medical debt, compared to one in eight among Medicaid recipients and one in eleven among those with private insurance. For the latter, the risk of forgoing medical care due to debt is half that of the uninsured. However, for dental and mental health care, the difference is less pronounced between insured and uninsured individuals.

Medical debts worsen health inequalities. They disproportionately affect women, people from ethnic minorities, those with low incomes, and those suffering from chronic illnesses or psychiatric disorders. Delaying dental, medical, or psychological care can lead to more serious complications and higher long-term costs.

Public policies could mitigate this issue by improving financial access to care. Reducing the economic barriers related to medical debt would help limit treatment delays and their health consequences. The stakes are high, as these delays affect all types of care and all patient profiles, whether or not they are covered by insurance. Dental health, often less well reimbursed, remains the most sensitive to these financial difficulties.

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Reference Work

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-026-10215-x

Title: Medical Debt and Deferred Care for Physical Health, Mental Health, and Dental Needs Among U.S. Adults

Journal: Journal of General Internal Medicine

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Kyle J. Moon; Nora V. Becker; Katherine E. M. Miller; Catherine K. Ettman