WATCH: How high-deductible plans are hurting our health

By Judith Garber | March 25, 2026

To solve the healthcare affordability crisis, we need to understand what drives healthcare costs and how people access care. That’s why we’re highlighting new research related to healthcare affordability in our Lunchtime Paper Presentation series.

At the latest edition of Lunchtime Paper Presentations from the Lown Institute, Dr. Justin Barnes, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, presented his recent research on the impact of high-deductible health plans on mortality for cancer survivors.

Regular pricing for LOWN26: Confronting Healthcare Affordability ends in May—register now before rates go up!

On May 21st we’re convening policymakers, clinicians, hospital leaders, business executives, and union organizers, united by one conviction: care shouldn’t crush the finances of American families. If you want to shape the future rather than wait for it, this is the conference for you.

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Medical debt impacts tens of millions of Americans, contributing to financial harm and worse health. This report provides an overview of research on prevalence, impact, and drivers of medical debt, finishing with policy recommendations to address both the downstream problem of medical debt and the systemic issues behind the problem. Suggested citation: Past Due: How Medical Debt is Harming Americans and the Solutions We Need Now. Medical debt working group. Needham, MA: The Lown Institute, 2025.