Senior citizens in North Carolina and Florida are carrying more medical debt than seniors in any other state, according to the results of a recently released report, which details social threats — including economic instability — to seniors receiving healthcare.
Nearly one-in-six senior citizens living in the United States is carrying some amount of unpaid medical debt, according to the report. For more than 25% of those individuals, the amount they owe is at least three month’s worth of living expenses. Twenty per cent of seniors say the inability to pay for healthcare is the biggest barrier to receiving it. More than one-third of seniors living in Florida, and 33% of those living in North Carolina have unpaid debts equal to or greater than three months of living expenses.
A copy of the report, issued by Alignment Healthcare, can be accessed by clicking here.
The total number of senior citizens nationwide that are carrying some amount of medical debt may be more than 10 million, the report estimated. Thirty-one per cent of seniors are either answered “no” or “unsure” when asked if they have the resources to pay for their medical debts in the coming year.
What makes the situation especially problematic in The Sunshine State is the sheer amount of seniors living there. Adults over the age of 65 make up more than 20% of the state’s population, and at least 50,000 more seniors are moving into Florida every year.
Overall, the population of adults over the age of 65 is expected to double in the next few decades, meaning it’s likely that more people will be suffering from the same problems as today’s seniors unless something is done.
