How Medical Debt Ballooned In America

Widespread medical debt is a uniquely American problem, with medical debt totaling at least $195 billion in 2019. It was once thought that the problem was that Americans were largely uninsured, but even those with health coverage can run into problems. Over 90% of the U.S. population has some kind of medical insurance but about 40% of adults say they have at least $250 in medical debt. Watch the video above to learn how we got here and why having health insurance isn’t enough to protect people from medical debt. Produced by: Charlotte Morabito Graphics by: Josh Kalven Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson Additional Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, Journal of the American Medical Association, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid