High bills, lack of insurance keep Americans struggling

According to an article in the Washington Post, a survey conducted found that many in the U.S. are having a hard time paying their medical bills, thus accumulating medical debt increasingly. The survey found that "two-thirds of the working-age population was uninsured, underinsured, reported a medical bill problem or did not get needed health care because of cost" last year. Twenty-eight percent of those people were, at some point in 2007, without insurance.

And the problem isn't just affecting lower-income citizens. While half of those making $20,000 or less went uninsured in 2007, 41 percent of those making between $20,000 and $40,000 also were uninsured (up from 28 percent a year earlier). Eighteen percent of those making between $40,000 and $60,000 went without insurance, as well.

Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis said of the report: "The U.S. stands out for being the only country...that reports significant fractions of the population not getting needed care."

For more:
- check out the Washington Post article

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