Mar 11, 2026 05:01 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119520
INTRO: Medical debt is associated with deferred dental care, medical care, and mental health care, even among people with health insurance, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The study found that 42.3% of people with medical debt delayed dental care compared with 17.7% of those without—almost 2.4 times as many; 23.0% of people with medical debt delayed medical care compared with just 5.3% of those without—about 4.3 times as many; and 14% of people with medical debt delayed mental health care compared with 5% of those without—nearly three times as many.
Uninsured adults were more likely to defer medical care when experiencing medical debt compared to those covered by commercial insurance—coverage provided by private non-government companies. More than 19% of uninsured adults, 13% of adults with Medicaid, 9% of adults with commercial insurance, and 8% of adults with Medicare reported medical debt. The share of deferred care for both mental health and dental needs was comparable among those who are insured and uninsured.
This study adds to a growing body of research that shows that people facing financial barriers to care experience poorer physical and mental health, higher mortality rates, and increased utilization of high-cost resources that could have been averted with preventive and routine care. However, previous research has not compared which types of care are most often deferred by people experiencing medical debt.
This study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine on March 10... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Medical debt is associated with deferred dental care, medical care, and mental health care, even among people with health insurance, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The study found that 42.3% of people with medical debt delayed dental care compared with 17.7% of those without—almost 2.4 times as many; 23.0% of people with medical debt delayed medical care compared with just 5.3% of those without—about 4.3 times as many; and 14% of people with medical debt delayed mental health care compared with 5% of those without—nearly three times as many.
Uninsured adults were more likely to defer medical care when experiencing medical debt compared to those covered by commercial insurance—coverage provided by private non-government companies. More than 19% of uninsured adults, 13% of adults with Medicaid, 9% of adults with commercial insurance, and 8% of adults with Medicare reported medical debt. The share of deferred care for both mental health and dental needs was comparable among those who are insured and uninsured.
This study adds to a growing body of research that shows that people facing financial barriers to care experience poorer physical and mental health, higher mortality rates, and increased utilization of high-cost resources that could have been averted with preventive and routine care. However, previous research has not compared which types of care are most often deferred by people experiencing medical debt.
This study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine on March 10... (MORE - details, no ads)