CNN —
Medical debt is a big burden for the middle class.
Almost a quarter of middle-class Americans, or 17 million people, had unpaid health care bills in 2020, a larger share than those higher and lower on the income scale, according to a new report from Third Way, a center-left think tank.
That compares with 22% of lower-income Americans and just under 13% of higher-income people, according to the report, which is based on US Census Bureau data.
Third Way defines middle class as a family of three earning between $50,000 and $100,000 annually, which it terms “the heart of the middle class.”