Fear of medical debt is killing us. Nearly 40% of Americans say they or a family member postponed medical treatment last year because of the cost. @Gallup has been asking people this question since 2001—this is the highest percentage yet… (thread) news.gallup.com/poll/468053/re… If you’ve been paying attention, this won’t be a surprise. Healthcare costs have been the leading cause of bankruptcy for years, and we’re in the midst of a growing national medical debt crisis affecting more than 100 million people.

Huge story out today. One of the country’s largest hospital systems contracted McKinsey (yes, that McKinsey) to find new ways to squeeze money out of patients, even those who should have received free care.

nytimes.com/2022/09/24/bus… This is a systemic problem. Nonprofit hospitals across the US receive billions in tax breaks each year. In exchange, they’re required to provide free or discounted care to low-income patients.

But little is done to enforce this requirement, and many patients never see that aid.