Widespread medical debt is a uniquely American problem, with medical debt totaling at least $195 billion in 2019. It was once thought that the problem was that Americans were largely uninsured, but even those with health coverage can run into problems. Over 90% of the U.S. population has some kind of medical insurance but about 40% of adults say they have at least $250 in medical debt. Watch the video above to learn how we got here and why having health insurance isn’t enough to protect people from medical debt.

Produced by: Charlotte Morabito
Graphics by: Josh Kalven
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, Journal of the American Medical Association, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

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Why Americans Have So Much Medical Debt