Exhibit 7.8: Financial Burden of Medical Bills, by Insurance Status, 2003
Over a third (36%) of the uninsured in 2003 had problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months. Almost a quarter (23%) of the uninsured had to change their way of life significantly to pay medical bills or were contacted by collection agencies about medical bills. The uninsured were 2-3 times more likely to say they experienced these problems than the insured.
Notes: Insured includes those covered by public or private health insurance.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Access to Care for the Uninsured: An Update, September 2003, Chart 4, p. 5, at http://www.kff.org/uninsured/4142.cfm, using unpublished data from the Kaiser 2003 Health Insurance Survey.
