Medical bills drive many personal bankruptcies in the U.S., according to a survey by a Harvard University team analyzing 1,771 cases in 2001. Its report appeared online February 2 in the journal Health Affairs.
Number of Americans who filed for bankruptcy in 2001: 1,458,000
Percent of bankruptcies involving any medical cause: 54.5
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Percent caused specifically by*:
Illness or injury: 28.3
Medical bills over $1,000: 27
Loss of work income for medical reasons: 21.3
New family member: 7.7
Death in family: 7.6
Alcohol or drug addiction: 2.5
Mortgage to pay medical bills: 2
Uncontrolled gambling: 1.2
Percent of debtors who had insurance at outset of illness: 75.7
Percent of medical debtors who, before going bankrupt:
Skipped doctor/dentist visit: 59.5
Failed to fill a prescription: 46.7
*Some respondents cited more than one specific cause.
SOURCE: www.healthaffairs.org
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