Medical debt
United States
In less developed nations those on low income in need of treatment will often avail themselves of what ever help they can from either the state or NGOs without going into debt, and in most developed countries public coverage of healthcare costs are comprehensive. But in the US, even when the patient has insurance coverage, including coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, considerable medical costs remain the patient's responsibility. Consequently, medical debt has been found by a 2009 study to be the primary cause of personal bankruptcy. One of the surveys that has been conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that the amount of debt that incurred by individuals for the health care costs is likely to cause personal bankruptcy. The study involving adults with employer-sponsored insurance found that while 20% of those surveyed have been approached by agencies, almost 9% of people declared their bankruptcy due to the health expenses.
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