Medical debt may be doing more than straining household budgets; it may be pushing people closer to housing instability, according to data published last week in JAMA Network Open. Adults with medical debt were significantly more likely to experience housing problems the following year, including difficulty paying rent or a mortgage, eviction, or foreclosure, according to the report. Researchers concluded that medical debt raised the risk of housing instability by 44%, underscoring how healthcare costs can trigger financial consequences that extend far beyond the doctor’s office.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, analyzed survey data from 1,515 U.S. adults followed annually from 2023 through 2025. About one in six respondents reported having medical debt in 2024. Among those individuals, nearly one in four experienced housing instability in 2025, compared with fewer than one in 10 adults without medical debt.
After adjusting for factors such as income, insurance status, savings, and prior housing challenges, the researchers found that medical debt was associated with a seven-percentage-point increase in the likelihood of housing instability the following year. Renters were particularly vulnerable, accounting for roughly 40% of adults with medical debt who later reported housing difficulties.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing how medical debt can cascade into other areas of financial stress. Prior research has already linked medical debt to delayed or forgone healthcare, including mental health services. This study extends that concern into housing, one of the most critical determinants of long-term financial and physical well-being.
“Receiving healthcare can lead to medical debt, and then to housing instability,” the study’s authors noted, warning that this cycle can ultimately jeopardize health outcomes and economic security.
