Back-breaking bills / Uncovered medical expenses are leading to bankruptcies: "The study looked at 1,771 bankruptcies filed in 2001 in five states, including California. Almost half of those filers -- 46.2 percent -- cited illness and medical bills as a major cause of bankruptcy. More than three- quarters had insurance at the onset of illness.
The problem seems to be largely a middle-class phenomenon. Typical medical bankruptcy filers are in their early 40s and have children. Most have at least some college education and own their homes.
Even if people have health insurance to begin with, many lose coverage because they are unable to keep their jobs because of medical problems. "





this is a huge problem for the united states... it's going to be a major factor in the economy and probably is a major factor right now.