Why Some Patients Challenge Medical Bills and Others Do Not: What a US Survey Found

by
Medical Bill Disputes Research Review

In a US household survey, 203 of 1,135 respondents reported a medical bill they disagreed with or could not afford. Among those 203, an estimated 61.5% said someone contacted the billing office. The study measured reported concerns, contacts, reasons for not contacting, and outcomes. It did not independently determine whether any disputed charge was an

How medical bills became medical debt in America: a documented history

by
History Of Medical Debt In America

Medical debt did not begin with Medicare, modern insurance, or any single law. Patients faced medical charges long before broad health coverage existed. Hospital charity, individual payment, prepaid hospital plans, employer-sponsored insurance, and public programs developed at different times and served different populations. Medicare and Medicaid were enacted in 1965. Medicare began operating in 1966,