TRENTON, N.J. – March 6, 2024 – As state lawmakers consider proposals that aim to reduce the financial impact of disease on patients and families, a new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that medical debt is associated with worse health status, more premature deaths and higher mortality rates.
Researchers with the ACS have found that medical debt was associated with more days of poor physical and mental health, more years of life lost and higher mortality rates for all-cause and leading causes of death at the county level in the United States. The study was published earlier this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.
The results showed, on average, 19.8% of the population in a county had medical debt in collections. After adjusting for county-level sociodemographic characteristics, one percentage point increase in population with medical debt was associated with 18.3 physically unhealthy days and 17.9 mentally unhealthy days per 1000 people during the past month; 1.12 years of life lost per 1,000 people; and 7.51 per 100,000 person-years in age-adjusted all-cause mortality rate. Associations of medical debt and elevated mortality rates were consistent for all leading causes of death, such as cancer, heart disease and suicide.
In New Jersey, there are several approaches being considered to reduce the toll of medical debt in residents’ lives, including the Lousia Carmen Medical Debt Relief Act (A3861), which aims to protect to patients with medical debt from collection actions by medical creditors and medical debt collectors.
Advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) are urging lawmakers to lend their support to the bill—along with multiple others, like A890, A3513 and A3760, endeavoring to reduce the impact of medical debt on patients and their families.
“The latest ACS study underscores the potential of legislation, such as the Lousia Carmen Medical Debt Relief Act (A3861) and the Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act (A3760), to make a positive impact in New Jersey,” said Quinton Law, Government Relations Director for ACS CAN in New Jersey. “Medical debt is bad for patients’ health, and is the leading policy priority for cancer patients and survivors. Now, it’s time for legislators to show up for their constituents with cancer; voting in support of legislation to alleviate the impact of medical debt is the best way to do so.”
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. We engage our volunteers across the country to make their voices heard by policymakers at every level of government. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We stand with our volunteers, working to make cancer a top priority for policymakers in cities, states and our nation’s capital. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.
