Banner

News

Article

One in six patients face collections over medical debt

Author(s):

In some areas of the U.S., 40% of the population has medical debt in collections

An analysis from HelpAdvisor illustrates how medical debt affects the average American.

Medical debt: ©Volgariver - stock.adobe.com

Medical debt: ©Volgariver - stock.adobe.com


One out of every six Americans who have a credit bureau report have medical debt that is in the hands of a collection agency as of February 2022, according to the report. In certain areas of the U.S., the rate of people with medical debt in collections is more than 40%.
Medical debt is a common issue in the U.S., with some 43 million people having unpaid medical bills in 2021, and more than 40% of adults currently have some debt caused by medical or dental bills.
Medical debt often ends up in collections, with the federal government reporting that 57% of all collections accounts are for medical debt.
Here are some key findings from the report:

  • North Carolina – which as a state has the fourth-highest rate of residents with medical debt in collections – accounts for three of the top four counties in the top 50 and nine of the top 18.
  • North Carolina is home to three of the six U.S. counties with at least a 40% rate of residents with medical debt in collections.
  • Texas (14 counties) and North Carolina (13 counties) together make up more than half of the counties with the 50 highest rates of medical debt in collections.
  • In 47 U.S. counties, at least one third of the population has medical debt in collections. In 356 counties, at least a quarter of the population has medical debt in collections.
  • 24% of West Virginia residents have medical debt in collections. More than one out of five people in West Virginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have medical debt in collections.
Related Videos
Jay W. Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP headshot | © American Association of Family Practitioners