AXIOS September 16, 2019
People driven into poverty by medical expenses
Health care expenses forced 8 million Americans into poverty in 2018, according to the Census Bureau.
The big picture: That’s actually an improvement from the past several years, when an annual average of 11 million people fell into poverty because of medical costs — a reflection of the country’s expensive system.
How it works: The Census Bureau tracks how various social programs and daily expenses influence poverty rates.
- Social Security, SNAP benefits and housing subsidies are among the most effective anti-poverty programs.
- But year after year, medical expenses remain “the largest...