QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Who Were in Families Having Problems Paying Medical Bills During the Previous 12 Months, by Race and Selected Hispanic Origin Subgroups — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020−2021

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Please note: This report has been corrected. An erratum has been published.

Abbreviation: NH = non-Hispanic.

• With 95% CIs indicated by error bars.

† Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population and are derived from the 2020 and 2021 National Health Interview Survey.

§ “Problems paying medical bills” is based on a positive response to a question asking, “In the past 12 months, did you/anyone in the family have problems paying or were unable to pay any medical bills? Include bills for doctors, dentists, hospitals, therapists, medication, equipment, nursing home, or home care.”

¶ Hispanic or Latino includes all Hispanic adults, including other Hispanic origin subgroups not shown separately.

** Total includes all adults, including other race groups not shown separately.

During 2020–2021, the percentage of U.S. adults who were in families having problems paying medical bills during the previous 12 months was 11.3%. Non-Hispanic Black or African American adults (16.8%) were most likely to be in families having problems paying medical bills followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.5%), non-Hispanic White (10.0%), and non-Hispanic Asian (5.7%) adults. Among the Hispanic or Latino origin subgroups shown, the percentage of adults in families having problems paying medical bills ranged from 9.7% among Cuban to 18.8% among Puerto Rican adults.

Source: National Health Interview Survey, 2020 and 2021 data. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm

Reported by: Michael E. Martinez, MPH, MHSA, memartinez@cdc.gov; Emily P. Terlizzi, MPH; Amy E. Cha, PhD.

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