A comprehensive survey conducted by ADAP Advocacy reveals a critical healthcare affordability crisis in the United States, with staggering implications for patient health and financial stability. The organization's Patient Medical Debt survey, which gathered responses from 673 participants, exposed significant challenges patients encounter when seeking medical care.
Key findings indicate that 77% of respondents have delayed or avoided medical treatment due to financial constraints, while 71% similarly postponed purchasing prescription medications. Even more alarming, 74% of survey participants reported holding medical debt, with 66% indicating their debt is currently in collections.
The survey underscores the systemic financial pressures patients experience, with hospitals (39%) and specialty care physicians (22%) holding the majority of medical debt. Notably, 40% of respondents reported that medical debt negatively impacted their credit scores, and 70% indicated that their debt directly affected their health status.
Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, expressed concern about the potential misuse of drug pricing program benefits by large hospital systems. The report suggests that while the 340B Drug Pricing Program is intended to expand affordable healthcare access, hospitals may not be utilizing these resources as originally intended.
The survey's findings highlight an urgent need for comprehensive healthcare affordability reforms and mechanisms to prevent medical debt from becoming a barrier to essential medical treatment. By revealing the widespread nature of this financial burden, the report draws critical attention to the intersection of healthcare access and economic challenges facing patients across the United States.
