Overburdened and Overwhelmed: The Struggles of Communities with High Medical Cost Burdens

The number of people with potentially high medical cost burdens varies widely across the nation, reflecting differences in the number of people who lack health insurance coverage and people who have coverage but nevertheless have high costs relative to their income. To address this problem, many states are undertaking expansions of insurance coverage, but federal support will be critical, particularly in states with large numbers of low-income residents.