Table 3.
Factors Associated with Current Medical Debt
| Active Debt | No Debt | P Value | MLR OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristic | ||||
| Age, y | ||||
| 17 to 44 | 46.6 | 53.4 | 1.0 | |
| 45 to 84 | 46.8 | 53.2 | .97 | 1.3 (0.6 to 2.9) |
| Race, % | ||||
| African American | 45.0 | 55.0 | 1.0 | |
| White | 56.1 | 43.9 | .19 | 0.8 (0.3 to 2.2) |
| Gender, % | ||||
| Male | 47.7 | 52.4 | 1.0 | |
| Female | 44.7 | 55.3 | .63 | 1.5 (0.7 to 3.5) |
| Education, % | ||||
| <12th grade | 42.1 | 57.9 | 0.3 (0.2 to 0.8) | |
| ≥12th grade | 49.7 | 50.3 | .24 | 1.0 |
| Income, % | ||||
| Below federal poverty level | 47.2 | 52.8 | 2.0 (0.8 to 4.9) | |
| Above federal poverty level | 43.3 | 56.7 | .55 | 1.0 |
| Insurance status, % | ||||
| Yes | 31.5 | 68.5 | 1.0 | |
| No | 60.1 | 39.9 | <.01 | 4.1 (1.7 to 9.8) |
| Source for usual care, % | ||||
| Emergency room | 59.1 | 40.9 | 1.0 | |
| Community/outpatient clinic | 45.0 | 55.0 | .21 | 2.6 (0.5 to 12.4) |
| With dependent children, % | ||||
| No | 50.9 | 49.1 | 1.0 | |
| Yes | 42.5 | 57.5 | .23 | 0.8 (0.3 to 2.0) |
| Housing status, % | ||||
| Homeless | 53.7 | 46.3 | 0.6 (0.2 to 1.8) | |
| Housed | 38.5 | 61.5 | .01 | 1.0 |
| Chronic medical condition, % | ||||
| No | 34.3 | 65.7 | 1.0 | |
| Yes | 50.0 | 50.0 | .03 | 2.5 (0.9 to 6.7) |
| Chronic mental health condition, % | ||||
| No | 41.7 | 58.3 | 1.0 | |
| Yes | 52.1 | 47.9 | .09 | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.6) |
| History of substance abuse, % | ||||
| No | 39.3 | 60.7 | 1.0 | |
| Yes | 53.1 | 46.9 | .03 | 2.1 (0.8 to 5.7) |
| Current social service needs, % | ||||
| No | 27.7 | 72.3 | 1.0 | |
| Yes | 51.9 | 48.1 | <.01 | 3.4 (1.2 to 9.6) |
| Site of interview, % | ||||
| Clinical | 51.1 | 48.9 | 2.3 (0.7 to 7.6) | |
| Nonclinical | 35.3 | 64.7 | .02 | 1.0 |
OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.