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YI Releases Medical Debt Policy Brief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2023
Contact: Emma Bittner
(972) 510-3395 | Emma.Bittner@younginvincibles.org

YI Releases Medical Debt Policy Brief

Living with a Debt Sentence: The Impact of Medical Debt on Young Adults in New York

(New York, NY) –  Today, Young Invincibles’ launched the nation’s first policy brief about medical debt among young adults, Living with a Debt Sentence: The Impact of Medical Debt on Young Adults in New York

Medical debt has been a prevalent problem nationwide, with over 100 million Americans having health care debt. In New York, hospital costs have been far higher than those in most states and the national median for over a decade, with average inpatient prices increasing to twice the national average. Unpaid medical bills have resulted in patients being denied care and nearly 50,000 patients being sued.

Through our research, it has become clear that medical debts are also more likely to affect young adults and marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, and result in higher rates of medical debt. Furthermore, debt is magnified for those with intersecting marginalized backgrounds, such as the Black transgender community. These debts fall starkly along racial, socioeconomic, and generational divides, with those impacted disproportionately experiencing financial burdens and barriers to their health and financial security. 

In addition to a landscape analysis and an overview of current policies and solutions in place, the brief includes powerful stories from young New Yorkers who currently suffer from medical debt and how it continually impacts their day-to-day lives, their health, and their futures.

The brief outlines necessary recommendations to more effectively address, mitigate and prevent medical debt in New York.

In response, Sean Miller, Northeast Regional Director at Young Invincibles said: 

“With health care prices continuing to skyrocket, medical debt is becoming all too common. Unrestricted hospital costs directly impact the financial and physical well-being of millions of patients, causing many, even cancer patients, to delay or forgo life-saving care.

 

Medical debt is also more prevalent, and more severe, among marginalized communities, such as low income families and communities of color. This isn’t just a public health issue – it’s a racial justice issue, an economic justice issue, and a human rights issue. Statistics show that young adults and Black households are far more likely to have medical debt than other groups. Consequently, this debt often prevents those patients from being able to buy a home (or afford the one they have), rent an apartment, take out a small business loan, finance a car, or simply get a credit card.


Our analysis and recommendations show overwhelming bipartisan support for New York State and New York City to act with urgency in addressing root causes, like hospital prices, implement patient protections, and improve oversight and price transparency.”

“Battling severe asthma over the last ten years, Maia Rosenberg [26, of Harlem, New York] has been in and out of the hospital since January 2020 and dealing with her own ballooning medical debt. Maia has good insurance; however, living with chronic illness has increased her medical needs and bills exponentially. ‘I shouldn’t be starting out my adult life in the red, just for being sick,’ Maia stated…”  Read more from the policy brief here.Maia

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Young Invincibles (YI) is a national advocacy and policy nonprofit organization focused on amplifying the voice of young people in the political process at the local, state, and federal levels. YI focuses on issues impacting young adults ages 18 to 34 in higher education, health care, economic security, and civic engagement. Our offices include Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas. For more information, please contact Emma Bittner at (972) 510-3395 or emma.bittner@younginvincibles.org