The paradox of medical debt relief
Medical debt is associated with poor financial and health outcomes. So why don't we see more positive effects when medical debt is relieved? More
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Medical Debt
Unlike other forms of debt, medical debt is extremely hard to avoid; nobody chooses to get sick, have an accident, or need emergency care. If you’re worried about medical debt, here are three ways you can help reduce your risk of debt. More
3 Reasons To Attend the Lown Medical Debt Conference
On May 15, 2025, the Lown Institute will be hosting a one-day, in person conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss the scope, key drivers, and emerging solutions to medical debt in the U.S. Here's why you won't want to miss this event. More
5 Things Every Patient Should Know About Hospital Financial Assistance
While many hospitals offer financial aid, millions of eligible patients never apply - often because they don't realize help is available. Here are five things every patient should know about hospital financial assistance programs. More
Medical debt: North Carolina’s novel approach
A new medical debt relief effort in North Carolina focuses on the impact of changes to financial assistance rather than solely forgiving old medical debt. Here's how they did it.. More
Can AI help reduce medical debt? It depends on how hospitals use it…
Could AI and other machine learning help ameliorate our nation’s medical debt crisis—or will it make the problem worse? It all depends on how hospitals use these tools, write Kelsey Chalmers, PhD, our own Director of Research, Data Science at the Lown Institute, and Christopher W. Goodman, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, in a recent JAMA Internal Medicine viewpoint. More
These five states have the lowest rates of medical debt. Here’s why…
We've pinpointed some signature moves in these leading states' policies that keep their medical debt rates impressively low. More
When doctors aren’t part of the hospital’s financial assistance policy
Nonprofit hospitals have to provide financial assistance. But what happens if the clinicians who provide care are excluded from the policy? More