$140 billion of medical debt burden working people in America. Medical debt is the leading cause of debt collections and personal bankruptcy, and those with medical debt are less likely to seek needed medical treatment, have worse health outcomes, and experience greater instability in employment and housing.
In Tennessee, at least 1 in 5 people have medical debt, making TN one of the 10 states with the highest rate of medical debt.
Medical debt affects all communities, including LGBTQ+, people of color, women, and Southerners. It is a broad social issue that impacts us all!
Southerners have the most medical bills in collections and for the largest dollar amounts compared to other regions. Southerns live in the most impoverished region of the US, with at least 18% of the population (22.2 million children and adults) living in poverty. The south is also home to 56% of Black people, 40% of trans people, and 13.8% of people living with disabilities in the US, demonstrating how those already marginalized by society are further harmed by medical debt.
Medical debt is a significant issue affecting millions of individuals and families, leading to financial stress and hardship. Our campaign aims to raise awareness about the impact of medical debt and advocate for fair and transparent financial practices.
Why This Matters:
The burden of medical debt can be overwhelming, causing many to live in constant fear of the next bill or phone call from creditors. Unexpected medical expenses can disrupt financial stability and impact quality of life. This campaign focuses on promoting fair and equitable financial practices aiming to alleviate the stress associated with medical debt and foster a supportive environment for everyone, regardless of their financial situation or background.
We believe that by addressing these issues, we can create a system where individuals can focus on their health and well-being without the fear of financial ruin.
As members of the working class, we know that medical debt affects everyone, regardless of gender or sexuality. We must come together to support each other and address this pressing issue. QUILT and DSA work to support the working class and alleviate the burdens of medical debt for all.
Join us in raising $10,000 to abolish $1,000,000 of medical debt for working class Tennesseans!
Our campaign slogan, “Burn Debt, Not Books,” emphasizes the urgent need to eliminate the burden of medical debt
Burn Debt, Not Books — Donate Now!
Sources:
- https://apnews.com/article/medical-debt-legislation-2a4f2fab7e2c58a68ac4541b8309c7aa
- Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States
- https://www.tnjustice.org/medical-debt
- 1 in 5 Tennesseans have medical debt on their credit report.
- Tennessee has the 8th highest rate of medical debt in the United States.
- https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019.10.15-FINAL-Medical-Debt-in-Tennessee-Series-Summary-Infographic.pdf
- Effects of medical debt include:
- Reduces Use of Needed Medical Care
- Increases Debt-Related Stress
- Affects ability to pay other bills
- Negatively Impacts Credit History
- Reduces Ability to Save and Build Wealth
- Poorer Physical and Mental Health Outcomes
- Less Financial Stability and Security
- Effects of medical debt include:
- https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/medical-debt-tennessee/
- 24% of Tennesseans with a credit report had medical debt on their credit history in 2016 – the 10th highest rate in the country. The median amount of medical debt on their credit reports was $739.
- More common among the uninsured, those with lower incomes or education levels, and people of color.
- Even small amounts of medical debt can hinder economic security and mobility by feeding debt cycles and reducing access to jobs, housing, and forms of credit that help build wealth.
- People with medical debt are more likely to be in poor health and less likely to access needed medical care. Debt-related stress can also negatively influence health behaviors and outcomes.
- https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/americas-medical-debt-much-worse-we-think
- Americans have $140 billion in outstanding medical debt.
- debt loads hitting the poor and the South the hardest.
- Medical debt is now the No. 1 source of debt collections, surpassing debt in collections from credit cards, utilities, auto loans, and other sources combined.
- “When you think about financial distress — debt collectors calling and knocking on doors of households — our research shows that more than half the time now, it is about medical debt,” Mahoney says. “That’s a pretty stunning and uniquely American phenomenon.”
- https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/
- 39% of all trans adults in the US live in the south
- https://www.irp.wisc.edu/resource/the-complexity-of-lgbt-poverty-in-the-united-states/
- LGBT+ folks are more likely to experience poverty than cis-het folks in the United States
- Patterns within LGBT+ poverty reflect patterns of poverty among straight people as well: women tend to be poorer than men, and people of color are generally more likely to be poor than their white counterparts.
- SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) clusters emerge.
- Cis gay men have the lowest overall poverty rate (12.1%), with cis straight men only slightly higher (13.4%).
- Cis straight women, cis lesbian women, and cis bisexual men comprise a second group at 17.8%, 17.9% and 19.5%, respectively.
- And a marked jump in poverty rates exists among cis bisexual women and transgender people, both experiencing an average poverty rate of 29.4%.
- https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/transpop-health-cvd-press-release/
- An estimated 90% of transgender people report having health insurance coverage, but one-third (33%) said they avoided health care due to cost in the past year
- Transgender people had more poor physical health days per month (8 days) than cisgender people (4 days).
- Transgender people experienced greater numbers of poor mental health days per month (15 days) compared to cisgender people (6 days).
- https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/podcast/2023/oct/how-medical-debt-makes-people-sicker-what-we-can-do-about-it#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20one%20in%20three,racism%20has%20made%20this%20effect.
- Nearly 20 percent of Americans report having medical debt, and 62 percent of bankruptcies are related to medical debt.
- one in three Black adults have past due medical bills compared to fewer than one in four white adults, and 27.9 percent of Black households carry medical debt compared to 17.2 percent of white, non-Hispanic households.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/facts-about-the-us-black-population/
- the highest concentration of Black people in the U.S. in 2022 is in the South; more than half (56%) live there
- https://justicegap.lsc.gov/resource/section-2-todays-low-income-america/
- 18% of the population in the south is below 125% of FPL. / 22.2 million children and adults.
- https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/
- On average, people living in the South continue to have the most medical bills in collections and for the largest dollar amounts.
- https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/disability-rates-higher-in-rural-areas-than-urban-areas.html
- The South Had Highest Disability Rate Among Regions in 2021
