Over 25% of US Adults Owe Medical Debt as Health Coverage Costs Rise 11%
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 23
Over 25% of US Adults Owe Medical Debt as Health Coverage Costs Rise 11%
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 23
Summary
More than a quarter of U.S. adults said they or a family member had medical debt at the end of 2025, according to an Urban Institute survey of 10,000 adults.
More than half of those with debt owed at least $1,000, and about one in six owed $5,000 or more; the tally included unpaid bills, credit-card balances and debt sent to collectors.
About a third of U.S. families skipped needed medical care last year because of cost, showing the strain extends beyond debt into delayed treatment.
Rising prices for basics such as groceries, gasoline and home heating are squeezing household budgets, while job-based health coverage is projected to cost about 11% more per employee next year unless employers cut benefits.
The survey offers a baseline for judging policy changes including tighter Medicaid work requirements and reduced Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies.
What hidden coverage gaps are pushing fully insured families into massive medical debt despite paying high monthly premiums?
As healthcare subsidies shrink in 2026, how will rising employer premiums force workers to choose between basic essentials and life-saving medicine?
With federal credit protections vacated, what surprising state laws are quietly shielding patients from having their financial lives ruined by hospital bills?