The study, published in JAMA Health Forum, analyzed data from the 2018-2021 Survey of Income and Program Participation, a longitudinal household panel. Researchers compared the debt of healthcare workers to workers in other fields. Combined, healthcare workers owed more than $150 billion in medical and educational debt.
Of healthcare workers, 13.9% had medical debt compared with 11.1% of other workers. The mean medical debt among healthcare workers was $1,567 and was more common among women and Black workers. It was also more common among those who work in home health and nursing homes.
Over a fourth of healthcare workers had educational debt, with 26.7% holding debt compared with 16.5% for other workers. The mean educational debt for healthcare workers was $10,642 and was more common among Black workers. It was less common among older and low-income workers and those with lower education levels.
“Educational and medical debts are associated with adverse health outcomes and may limit workers’ professional mobility; reduce workforce diversity; and discourage personnel from entering lower-paying fields, e.g., public health or primary care,” the study authors wrote. “Healthcare workers indebted to their employers may be less able to address patient safety concerns or protect themselves from workplace abuses.”
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