Medical Debt Affects Much of America, but Colorado Immigrants Are Hit Especially Hard

Colorado’s overall medical debt burden is lower than most other states, but its racial and ethnic disparities are wider, reports KFF Health News. The gap between the debt burden in ZIP codes where residents are primarily Hispanic and/or non-white and ZIP codes that are primarily non- Hispanic white is twice what it is nationally. Medical debt in Colorado is also concentrated in ZIP codes with relatively high shares of immigrants, many of whom are from Mexico. Colorado has taken steps to protect patients from medical debt, but the complexities of many assistance programs remain a major barrier for immigrants and others with limited English proficiency.