- Americans owe collections agencies $140B in unpaid medical debt, almost 2x more than previously estimated.
- From 2009-2020, unpaid medical bills became collections agencies’ largest source of debt.
- The $140B excludes debts owed directly to hospitals, long-term payment plans and medical bills paid via credit cards.
- The medical debts are highly concentrated in Southern states that declined participation in Obama’s Medicaid expansion.
- Unlike debts pertaining to day-to-day needs (eg utility bills, auto loans), medical bills have much lower re-payment rates.
