It seems that "32 percent" is the number of the day today. First, actuaries believe that medical claims costs will go up 32 percent, and now the Centers for Disease Control tells us that 32 percent of U.S. families are having trouble paying their medical bills:
Nearly one in four children ages birth to 17 live in families that are struggling to pay medical bills, according to CDC data from the National Health Interview Survey, from January - June, 2011.
Here are more findings. In the first six months of 2011:
- one in three persons was in a family experiencing financial burden of medical care
- one in 5 persons was in a family having problems paying medical bills
- one in 4 persons was in a family paying medical bills over time
- one in 10 persons was in a family that had medical bills they were unable to pay at all
The CDC has more sobering charts here.