31 Million Americans Borrowed $ to Pay Medical Bills Last Year

If we needed more evidence that health care costs are simply unsustainable, check out the latest results of a recent West Health-Gallup survey: 31 million Americans borrowed $74 billion to pay for their medical bills.

The survey, reported in The Hill, was conducted Nov. 11-18, 2024, among 3,583 respondents.

Most borrowers were between 18 and 49, with just 2 percent of borrowers over 65 years old. Many had medical debt, despite also having health insurance.

“A high-priced health care system that requires Americans to take out loans or make painful tradeoffs just to stay healthy is in desperate need of policy reform or things will get even worse,” said Tim Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.

In addition to more younger borrowers, the survey found that Black and Hispanic Americans were “significantly” more likely to have taken out a loan to cover health care bills than white adults.

Most Americans, 58%, say they are at least somewhat concerned that a major health event will put them in debt.

What about you? Have you taken out a loan to pay a medical bill? Share your story with Voices for Affordable Health.