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Table 2 Prevalence of medical debt outcomes and associations between guarantor characteristics and medical debt outcomes, 2015 CarePayment sample

From: Demographic and service-use profiles of individuals using the CarePayment program for hospital-related medical debt: results from a nationwide survey of guarantors

Medical Debt Outcome

Descriptive Results

Results of Logistic Regression Modelsa

Percent of Respondents

Household Income

(Comparison: $80,000 or more)b

Amount of debt

(Comparison: Less than $2,000)b

Service Usageb

 

Less than $20,000

$20,000–39,999

$40,000–59,999

$60,000–79,999

$2,000–3,999

$4,000–7,999

$8,000–9,999

$10,000 or more

First-time CP User (Y)

Other medical debt (Y)

Because of medical bills, in the last two years…

Unable to pay for necessities (food, heat, rent)

14.4

8.0**

4.8*

4.4*

x

x

x

x

2.4*

x

2.5*

Used up all your savings

38.5

2.4*

2.3*

2.5*

2.0*

x

x

x

4.4**

1.6*

2.8**

Taken out a mortgage or loan

9.6

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

4.3**

x

2.3*

Taken on credit card debt

30.9

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

2.02*

x

4.2**

Thought about filing for bankruptcy

8.9

x

x

3.2*

x

x

x

3.4*

x

x

3.2*

Had to declare bankruptcy

2.8

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Received a lower credit rating

20.9

3.1*

2.0*

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

3.0**

Delayed education or career plans

9.6

3.5*

x

x

3.4*

x

x

x

3.8*

2.1*

2.9*

Because of cost, in the past 12 months…

 

Did not fill a prescription

28.9

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

2.1*

x

3.2**

Skipped a medical test, treatment or follow-up recommended by a doctor

32.9

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

1.6*

3.4**

Skipped doses of a prescription medicine or cut pills

24.6

x

2.3*

x

x

x

x

x

2.1*

x

3.1**

Had a medical problem but did not go to a doctor/clinic

30.3

x

1.8*

2.6**

x

x

x

x

x

x

2.9**

Did not see a specialist when you/your doctor thought you needed one

24.0

x

x

x

x

x

1.8*

x

2.2*

x

2.1**

Delayed or skipped preventive care screening

24.6

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

2.1*

1.8*

2.7**

In the past 12 months…

Problems paying/unable to pay medical bills

59.5

3.2**

2.5**

2.5**

x

x

x

x

x

x

2.8**

Had to change way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills

38.7

4.9**

4.4**

2.6*

2.7*

x

x

x

8.7**

x

2.4**

Contacted by a collection agency about owing money for medical bills

19.9

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

1.5*

3.1**

  1. aEach row represents one logistic regression model with outcome variable representing the odds of the respondent reporting the negative outcome listed in the first column
  2. bCells present Odds Ratios from the full model for significant co-variates only
  3. *p < 0.05; **p < .001; x: p > 0.05
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BMC Health Services Research

ISSN: 1472-6963

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