A report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds a dramatic decline in the number of families and individuals who are struggling to pay medical bills, compared to what they faced before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found that since 2011, that number has declined by nearly 13 million people, or 22%. This downward trend is consistent across demographics and insurance types, a sign that health reform has made a positive impact on the financial stability of American families.

This success is particularly important for children as their families are more likely to struggle to pay medical bills.  The percentage of children whose families had trouble paying medical bills dropped from 23.2% in 2011 to 17.6% in the first 6 months of 2016, according to the NHIS report.