WATCH: Medical credit cards and public hospitals

By Judith Garber| September 29, 2026

As healthcare has become less affordable, patients and providers are turning to medical credit cards and other financial products. What do we know about the medical credit industry and hospitals?

At a recent Lown Lunchtime presentation, we heard from Katryn Basso, Dartmouth University MPH candidate and Lown Institute intern, about her research examining public hospitals’ offering of medical credit products and what this means for patients. For the full presentation, watch the video recording below!

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.