Four in ten people in the United States have medical debt. It's something many of us deal with every day – by avoiding bills, paying with our credit cards, even crowdfunding to cover costs. Whether you have a chronic illness, need an expensive treatment, or are caring for a loved one, debt unfortunately seems to be unavoidable in our system. In this episode, we break all this down with KFF Health News  Senior Correspondent Noam Levey. And we hear from radiation oncologist Dr. Fumiko Chino about what drowning in medical debt felt like when her husband, Andrew, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.

This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need.

Read Noam Levey’s reporting at KFF Health News, including the reporting series he led, Diagnosis: Debt. 

Learn more about Fumiko Chino’s research on health care costs and affordability here.

If you’re struggling with a big medical bill, check out the website dollarfor.org. It’s a great resource for navigating a hospital’s financial assistance program.