Medical care can be overwhelmingly expensive, but when a family member is ill it is often mandatory. In many circumstances, it is impossible for an individual to avoid paying medical bills because the treatment is essential to preserve a person's life and well-being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than one in four U.S. families recently experienced a financial burden due to the cost of medical care.

The CDC analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey and discovered that 8.9% of all participants admitted that they were currently having difficulties with paying a medical bill. Another 7.6% of individuals claim that they had been in a situation where they were unable to pay a medical bill sometime in the previous 12 months. IN addition to this, 21.4% of all of those surveyed said that they are currently in the process of paying off a medical bill over an extended period of time with a payment plan.

Altogether, 26.8% of all people who were interviewed said that they experienced some type financial burden due to medical bills in the previous year. The lower a family's income, the greater the possibility that someone within the family was having a hard time satisfying a medical bill. The survey also showed that having kids makes families more vulnerable to medical bills. Oftentimes children fall ill with serious illnesses. Among adults who are part of a family with at least one child, 12.1% surveyed said that they had a bill they could not pay. 29.8% of parents say that they are paying off a bill over time. Among single adults living alone, about 7.1% were behind on a medical bill and 14.7% are currently paying off a bill that they owe with a payment plan.

Families that have even just one person in their family that does not have health insurance are also more likely to suffer from this type of financial crisis. Among adults in families where some people were insured and others were not, about 46% experienced a financial difficulty due to the cost of medical care. Things were slightly better for families that were completely uninsured. 39.7% of adults in families told interviewers as a part of the survey that they had a medical related financial expense that they could not pay. In families that do have health insurance about 21% of adults suffered financially due to medical bills.

Families suffering from medical bills often pool incomes together to assist in meeting the expenses. Still, this is not always enough. According to CNN, medical bills are the biggest cause of U.S. bankruptcies. In 2013, nearly 2 million people filed for bankruptcy because they could not afford to pay medical bills and felt it was best to discharge the debt.

Researchers say that the average American makes around $50,000 in income each year. A high medical bill and a high-deductible insurance plan can quickly become overwhelming. If you have an out-of-pocket maximum of around $10,000, medical bills can be devastating. If you are currently struggling to make ends meet after paying for medical treatments, you need to hire an attorney to assist you in filing an effective bankruptcy.

With a creative and hardworking lawyer there to help you, you may be able to file and get all of your medical debts discharged. Many people think of bankruptcy as a last resort, but it can also be a fresh start, helping you to break free of your debt. Don't hesitate to call the firm today for more information!