Study: Medical Debt Hits 1 in 5 Ohioans, Insured Included
A new Urban Institute study, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, finds more than a quarter of American adults and about 1 in 5 Ohio adults reported medical debt in 2025, including many with health insurance. More than half of those with debt owed at least $1,000, and hospital services were the leading driver, cited by 52% of affected adults. Health Policy Institute of Ohio researchers warn that anticipated Medicaid work-requirement coverage losses, projected to drop up to 300,000 Ohio Medicaid enrollees, and a 100,000-person decline in ACA marketplace enrollment could worsen medical debt and uncompensated care, particularly for rural providers. Ohio lawmakers return after the Nov. 3 election and may act on a pending bipartisan bill capping medical debt interest rates and limiting collection practices.