Dive Brief:
- A new report from the CDC concludes that families are having less trouble paying their medical bills.
- The percentage of people under age 65 in families that had trouble paying medical bills fell from 21.7% in the first six months of 2011 to 19.8% in the first three months of 2013.
- Also, families with children 17 or younger had less problems paying these bills. The percentage of children in families having trouble paying medical bills fell from 23.7% in the first six months of 2011 to 21.3% in the first six months of 2013.
Dive Insight:
Not to be a downer, but the decreases in families having trouble paying their bills are not large. It seems likely that some positive dynamic is in effect here—such as individuals finding jobs—but it's not a large enough change to suggest that there will be a sustained drop going forward. Let's see what happens when the CDC discloses 2014 numbers.