1 in 6 children come from families who have trouble with medical bills

A new report finds that some 17% of children in 2017 lived in a family that had trouble paying medical bills. Here’s more from the report: 

• Overall trends: Problems paying medical bills declined 20% between 2013 and 2017, but some 13 million children in 2017 came from families who reported trouble. 
• Family income: Children from low-income backgrounds — at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, or around $61,000 for a family of four in 2017 — were more than twice as likely to have families who reported financial hardship with medical bills. 
• Insurance: 80% of children in low-income families were either uninsured or had health problems in the family. In 2017, some 5% of children overall were uninsured, but nearly 20% lived with a family member who was uninsured.