The findings come from a survey of 3,583 U.S. adults, conducted Nov. 11-18. Gallup conducted the survey in partnership with West Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan family of organizations focused on healthcare and aging.
Five things to know:
1. Americans borrowed an estimated $74 billion for medical bills in 2024, according to the report.
2. Adults aged 18 to 19 were the most likely to report borrowing money to pay for healthcare. The percentage of adults who said they borrowed money by age group:
18-29: 18%
30-39: 17%
40-49: 16%
50-64: 9%
65+: 2%
3. Of those who said they borrowed money, 58% said they borrowed $500 or more.
4. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they were concerned that they would experience medical debt if faced with a major health event
5. “The findings suggest that stronger public policy is needed to address the impacts of high-priced healthcare; without such changes, millions more may accumulate debt or be forced to make painful tradeoffs about seeking healthcare,” Gallup said in the report.
Read the full report here.
