Medical Debt Policy Scorecard

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical debt impacted a staggering number of people throughout the United States every year, with 22% of adults in the United States reporting that they avoided some form of medical care because of the cost. The volume of medical debt lawsuits in the civil legal system is on the rise, representing approximately 24% of civil cases. By the time a medical debt reaches the court system, devastating consequences for the debtor are almost inevitable; more than 70% of debt cases end in default judgments against the debtor, turning into wage garnishments, liens, civil arrests, and the inability to secure housing, credit, and employment. A medical debt collection lawsuit is the final chapter in a much longer story about poverty, inequality, and a shortage of policies to prevent socio-economic harms from becoming civil legal issues.

The Medical Debt Policy Scorecard Website offers an open-source dataset, interactive map, and detailed report to researchers, policy advocates, and state legislators. The 50 states were scored and ranked across four policy goals: (1) reducing how often people incur medical debt; (2) increasing the ability of patients to resolve debt out of court; (3) improving the openness, efficiency, and equity for people navigating medical debt court cases without a lawyer; and (4) reducing the negative consequences for debtors after court.

Visit: Medical Debt Policy Scorecard Website

See the Project Brief: Medical Debt Policy Scorecard Project Brief