The Los Angeles (LA) County Department of Public Health has completed an updated analysis of their original 2021 data and the 2022 data update on medical debt in LA County using recently released data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

Findings: Medical debt affected 11.1% of adults in Los Angeles County in 2023, approximately 881,869 adults. Disparities persist, with Latino/Latine, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial adults experiencing disproportionately high burdens of medical debt. Lower-income households and families with children remain significantly affected. Approximately 42% of the medical debt burden was among adults living below 200% federal poverty level. Among these adults with medical debt, 45% were unable to afford basic necessities and 72% reported forgoing needed medical care.