Of adults with healthcare debt, 49 percent say dental bills account for some of that amount, according to the KFF Health Care Debt Survey.
The survey, published June 16, was conducted Feb. 25 to March 20 among a nationally representative sample of 2,375 American adults. Read more about the methodology here.
Three things to know:
- Of those who reported dental bills as part of their healthcare debt, 60 percent said they or the person whose bills led to their debt had dental coverage at the time.
- Dental insurance usually has annual limits on coverage. However, this does not always protect people from dental bill debt, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported.
- Traditional Medicare does not provide dental coverage, leaving many older adults vulnerable to falling into debt.
Percentage of those who reported dental care bills as the cause of their medical debt by age range:
Ages 18 to 29: 45 percent
Ages 30 to 49: 52 percent
Ages 50 to 64: 48 percent
Ages 65 and older: 48 percent