HHS, 2 Collaborators Issue Report Entitled 'Problems Paying Medical Bills – United States, 2021' (Part 2 of 2)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (TNScapv) -- Three organizations issued a 13-page National Health Statistics report (No. 180) on January 18, 2023 entitled "Problems Paying Medical Bills - United States, 2021."

(Continued from Part 1 of 2)

Here are excerpts:

* * *

References

1. Cha AE, Cohen RA. Problems paying medical bills, 2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 357. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.

2. Karpman M, Martinchek K, Braga B. Medical debt fell during the pandemic. How can the decline be sustained? Urban Institute. 2022. Available from: https://www.urban. org/sites/default/files/2022-05/ Medical%20Debt%20Fell%20 during%20the%20Pandemic%20 How%20Can%20the%20Decline%20 Be%20Sustained.pdf.

3. Rustgi S, Doty MM, Collins SR, Kriss JL. Losing ground: How the loss of adequate health insurance is burdening working families--Findings from the Commonwealth Fund biennial health insurance surveys, 2001-2007. Commonwealth Fund. 2008. Available from: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/ publications/fund-reports/2008/aug/ losing-ground-how-loss-adequate-health-insurance-burdening.

4. Zammitti EP, Cohen RA. Table: Percentage (and standard error) of persons under age 65 who were in families that currently have medical bills that they are unable to pay at all, by selected demographic characteristics and year: United States, 2011-June 2015. National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ health_policy/bills_unable_to_pay_at_ all_2011_2015.pdf.

5. Cohen RA, Kirzinger WK. Financial burden of medical care: A family perspective. NCHS Data Brief, no 142. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2014.

6. Collins SR, Aboulafia GN, Gunja MZ. As the pandemic eases, what is the state of health care coverage and affordability in the U.S.? Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Health Care Coverage and COVID-19 Survey, March-June 2021. Commonwealth Fund. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26099/6w2d-7161.

7. Lopes L, Kearney A, Montero A, Hamel L, Brodie M. Health care debt in the U.S.: The broad consequences of medical and dental bills. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2022. Available from: https://www.kff.org/health-costs/report/kff-health-care-debt-survey/.

8. Himmelstein DU, Dickman SL, McCormick D, Bor DH, Gaffney A, Woolhandler S. Prevalence and risk factors for medical debt and subsequent changes in social determinants of health in the US. JAMA Netw Open 5(9):e2231898. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/ jamanetworkopen.2022.31898.

9. Kluender R, Mahoney N, Wong F, Yin W. Medical debt in the US, 2009-2020. JAMA 326(3):250-6. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/ jama.2021.8694.

10. Bielenberg JE, Futrell M, Stover B, Hagopian A. Presence of any medical debt associated with two additional years of homelessness in a Seattle sample. Inquiry 57:1-10. 2020.

11. Sommers A, Cunningham PJ. Medical bill problems steady for U.S. families, 2007-2010. Track Rep 28:1-5. 2011.

12. Rabin DL, Jetty A, Petterson S, Froehlich A. Under the ACA higher deductibles and medical debt cause those most vulnerable to defer needed care. J Health Care Poor Underserved 31(1):424-40. 2020.

13. Cohen RA, Zammitti EP. Problems paying medical bills among persons under age 65: Early release of estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2011-June 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc. gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/probs_ paying_medical_bills_jan_2011_ jun_2017.pdf.

14. Gutttman-Kenney B, Kluender R, Mahoney N, Wong F, Xia X, Yin W. Trends in medical debt during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Health Forum 3(5):e221031. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/ jamahealthforum.2022.1031.

15. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey: 2020 survey description. 2021. Available from: https://ftp.cdc. gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/ Dataset_Documentation/NHIS/2020/ srvydesc-508.pdf.

16. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey: 2021 survey description. 2022. Available from: https://ftp.cdc. gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/ Dataset_Documentation/NHIS/2021/ srvydesc-508.pdf.

17. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey: 2019 survey description. 2020. Available from: https://ftp.cdc. gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/ Dataset_Documentation/NHIS/2019/ srvydesc-508.pdf.

18. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty thresholds. Available from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/ time-series/demo/income-poverty/ historical-poverty-thresholds.html.

19. National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple imputation of family income in 2021 National Health Interview Survey: Methods. 2022. Available from: https://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/ Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_ Documentation/NHIS/2021/NHIS2021-imputation-techdoc-508.pdf.

20. Bloom B, Simpson G, Cohen RA, Parsons PE. Access to health care part 2: Working-age adults. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10(197). 1997. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ series/sr_10/sr10_197.pdf.

21. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare Advantage plans. Available from: https://www. medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/ types-of-medicare-health-plans/ medicare-advantage-plans.

22. Cha AE, Cohen RA. Demographic variation in health insurance coverage: United States, 2021. National Health Statistics Reports; no 177. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2022. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ nhsr/nhsr177.pdf.

23. Affordable Care Act of 2010. Pub L No 111-148, Pub L No 111-152. 2010.

24. Office of Management and Budget. Revised delineations of metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan statistical areas, and combined statistical areas, and guidance on uses of the delineations of these areas. OMB Bulletin No. 13-01. 2013.

25. National Center for Health Statistics. 2013 NCHS urban-rural classification scheme for counties. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/ urban_rural.htm#2013_Urban-Rural_ Classification_Scheme_for_Counties.

26. Ingram DD, Franco SJ. 2013 NCHS urban-rural classification scheme for counties. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 2(166). 2014. Available from: https://www. cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_02/ sr02_166.pdf.

27. Korn EL, Graubard BI. Confidence intervals for proportions with small expected number of positive counts estimated from survey data. Surv Methodol 24(2):193-201. 1998.

28. Parker JD, Talih M, Malec DJ, Beresovsky V, Carroll M, Gonzalez Jr JF, et al. National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 2(175). 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/ sr_02/sr02_175.pdf.

29. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Pub L No 116-136. 2019-2020.

30. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Pub L No 116-260. 2021.

31. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Pub L No 117-2. 2021.

32. Moss K, Wexler A, Dawson L, Long M, Kates J, Cubanski J, et. al. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act: Summary of key health provisions. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2020. Available from: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-summary-of-key-health-provisions/.

33. Cohen RA, Cha AE, Terlizzi EP, Martinez ME. Health insurance coverage: Early release of estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2021. National Center for Health Statistics. May 2022. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/ cdc:115983.

34. McDermott D, Cox C, Amin K. Impact of key provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 COVID-19 relief on Marketplace premiums. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2021. Available from: https://www.kff.org/ health-reform/issue-brief/impact-of-key-provisions-of-the-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-covid-19-relief-on-marketplace-premiums/.

35. Pollitz K. How the American Rescue Plan will improve affordability of private health coverage. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2021. Available from: https://www.kff.org/health-reform/ issue-brief/how-the-american-rescue-plan-will-improve-affordability-of-private-health-coverage/.

36. Whaley CM, Pera MF, Cantor J, Chang J, Velasco J, Hagg HK, et. al. Changes in health service use among commercially insured US populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Netw Open 3(11):e2024984. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/ jamanetworkopen.2020.24984.

37. Cantor JH, Sood N, Bravata D, Pera M, Whaley CM. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and policy response on health care utilization: evidence from county-level medical claims and cellphone data. J Health Econ. 2020. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102581.

38. Mehrotra A, Chernew ME, Linetsky D, Hatch H, Cutler DA, Schneider EC. The impact of COVID-19 on outpatient visits in 2020: visits remained stable, despite a late surge in cases. Commonwealth Fund. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26099/ bvhf-e411.

39. National Center for Health Statistics. Percentage of having a hospital emergency department visit in past 12 months for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2019-2020. National Health Interview Survey. Generated interactively: Sep 13, 2022. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc. gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/ index.html.

40. Baughman KR, Burke RC, Hewit MS, Sudano JJ, Meeker J, Hull SK. Associations between difficulty paying medical bills and forgone medical and prescription drug care. Popul Health Manag 18(5):358-66. 2015. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ pop.2014.0128.

* * *

The report is posted at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr180.pdf

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE (founded 2004) features non-partisan 'edited journalism' news briefs and information for news organizations, public policy groups and individuals; as well as 'gathered' public policy information, including news releases, reports, speeches. For more information contact MYRON STRUCK, editor, [email protected], Springfield, Virginia; 703/304-1897; https://targetednews.com