Medical Billing and Collections Among Older Americans
Older adults, most of whom have health insurance coverage, are among the millions of Americans who experience problems with reporting and collection of inaccurate medical bills. This spotlight describes how medical billing practices can lead to inaccurate bills and attempts to collect amounts that are not owed from people 65 and older. It also describes the impact of inaccurate medical bills, including coercive credit reporting on older adults. The spotlight uses the most recent data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), and consumer complaints submitted to the CFPB between January 2020 and December 2022.