A study published in JAMA Health Forum on July 26, 2024, analyzing medical and educational indebtedness among US health care workers found that 21% of home health care workers and almost 20% of nursing home employees carry medical debt. Analyzing the self-reported data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) from 2018-2021, researchers found that healthcare workers are more likely than those in other sectors to carry medical and educational debt, collectively amounting to over $150 billion.
Medical debt was particularly linked to being female, having a lower income or education level, working in home health and nursing home care, lacking health insurance, and recent hospitalization. Critical components of the aging services workforce were particularly impacted by debt with over 23% of Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) reporting educational debt, while 18.7% reported having medical debt. Registered Nurses (RNs) indicated a higher incidence of educational debt, with nearly 35% reporting an average debt of $11,939 and 12% reporting having medical debt.
Researchers noted “extensive training requirements may lead to high student debt among some healthcare workers, while nonprofessional health workers may be at risk for medical debt due to low wages and poor benefits”. These findings indicate that US healthcare workers carry significant educational and medical debts, further research should focus on the impact of debt on the healthcare workforce and patient care.
