Voters blame insurers for medical debt: poll

Dive Brief:

Voters across political parties agree that insurers are most at fault for medical debt in the U.S. , according to a national survey published this week.

Sixty-three percent of all respondents blamed insurance companies the most for medical debt, according to the poll by nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. Just 12% blamed pharmaceutical companies the most, and 9% pointed the finger at hospitals.

Respondents said they broadly favored policy solutions to rein in medical debt, as rising healthcare costs have become a sticking point in Washington.

Dive Insight:

Thirty-five percent of respondents said they held medical debt and nearly 70% said healthcare was unaffordable, according to the survey by Undue Medical Debt, research firm NORC and polling firm PerryUndem.

Almost half