Medical bills pushed this California family into poverty. They're not alone
One in 10 Los Angeles County residents are burdened with medical debt, according to new research from Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health. And often even relatively small amounts of debt can plunge a patient into a financially precarious situation. In 2021, 11.3% of L.A. County adults with medical debt owed on average more than $4,000 and about a third owed less than $1,000. Fifty ...
One in 10 Los Angeles County residents are burdened with medical debt, according to new research from Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health.
And often even relatively small amounts of debt can plunge a patient into a financially precarious situation.
In 2021, 11.3% of L.A. County adults with medical debt owed on average more than $4,000 and about a third owed less than $1,000. Fifty percent reported taking on credit card debt to finance their medical bills, and 46% said they were unable to afford basic necessities due to their bills.
About half of those who took on credit card debt or were struggling to pay for necessities owed less than $2,000, the report said.
In L.A. County, 810,000 residents collectively
