When she was 19, writer Emily Maloney found herself facing about $50,000 in medical debt after hospital treatment for a mental health crisis. The debt followed her throughout her twenties, hurting her credit and leading to stressful calls from collection agencies.
Her experience is all too common: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that about 1 in 5 U.S. households carries medical debt. People with medical debt are more likely to face anxiety, stress or depression and avoid filling prescriptions because of the cost.
In Kimberly Palmer’s latest for the Associated Press, learn how to handle your medical bills.