The Biden administration on Thursday cautioned Americans about the growing risks of medical credit cards and other loans for medical bills, warning in a new report that high interest rates can deepen patients' debts and threaten their financial security.
In its report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that people in the U.S. paid $1 billion in deferred interest on medical credit cards and other medical financing in just three years, from 2018 to 2020.
The interest payments can inflate medical bills by almost 25%, the agency found by analyzing financial data that lenders submitted to regulators.
"Lending outfits are designing costly loan products to peddle to patients looking to make ends meet on their medical bills," said Rohit Chopra, director of CFPB, the federal consumer watchdog. "These new forms of medical debt can create financial ruin for individuals who get sick."
Nationwide, about 100 million people — including 41% of adults — have some kind of health care debt, KFF Health News found in an investigation conducted with NPR to explore the scale and impact of the nation's medical debt crisis.
The vast scope of the problem is feeding a multibillion-dollar patient financing business, with private equity and big banks looking to cash in when patients and their families can't pay for care, KFF Health News and NPR found. In the patient financing industry, profit margins top 29%, according to research firm IBISWorld, or seven times what is considered a solid hospital profit margin.
Millions of patients sign up for credit cards, such as CareCredit offered by Synchrony Bank. These cards are often marketed in the waiting rooms of physicians' and dentists' offices to help people with their bills.
The cards typically offer a promotional period during which patients pay no interest, but if patients miss a payment or can't pay off the loan during the promotional period, they can face interest rates that reach as high as 27%, according to the CFPB.
Patients are also increasingly being routed by hospitals and other providers into loans administered by financing companies such as AccessOne. These loans, which often replace no-interest installment plans that hospitals once commonly offered, can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest to the debts patients owe.
A KFF Health News analysis of public records from UNC Health, North Carolina's public university medical system, found that after AccessOne began administering payment plans for the system's patients, the share paying interest on their bills jumped from 9% to 46%. Related StoriesUniversity Hospital Bonn coordinates eWHORM project to combat worm infections in sub-Saharan AfricaMGI and South Australian Genomics Centre Introduce DNBSEQ-T7 to Supercharge Genomics Research in AustraliaPediatric hepatology experts join Hassenfeld Children's Hospital to deliver family-centered care to children with liver disease
Hospital and finance industry officials insist they take care to educate patients about the risks of taking out loans with interest rates.
But federal regulators have found that many patients remain confused about the terms of the loans. In 2013, the CFPB ordered CareCredit to create a $34.1 million reimbursement fund for consumers the agency said had been victims of "deceptive credit card enrollment tactics."
The new CFPB report does not recommend new sanctions against lenders. Regulators cautioned, however, that the system still traps many patients in damaging financing arrangements. "Patients appear not to fully understand the terms of the products and sometimes end up with credit they are unable to afford," the agency said.
The risks are particularly high for lower-income borrowers and those with poor credit.
Regulators found, for example, that about a quarter of people with a low credit score who signed up for a deferred-interest medical loan were unable to pay it off before interest rates jumped. By contrast, just 10% of borrowers with excellent credit failed to avoid the high interest rates.
The CFPB warned that the growth of patient financing products poses yet another risk to low-income patients, saying they should be offered financial assistance with large medical bills but instead are being routed into credit cards or loans that pile interest on top of medical bills they can't afford.
"Consumer complaints to the CFPB suggest that, rather than benefiting consumers, as claimed by the companies offering these products, these products in fact may cause confusion and hardship," the report concluded. "Many people would be better off without these products."
This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
A truck driver has been found guilty of murdering his wife, whose remains were found under the stairs at their home in Ireland.
Richard Satchwell, originally from Leicester, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between 19 March and 20 March 2017.
Her skeletal remains were discovered at the Co Cork property in October 2023, six years after her husband reported her missing.
The Briton, 58, did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
Image: Tina Satchwell
The jury had been deliberating since Tuesday afternoon.
During the five-week trial, jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses, including police officers involved in the investigation.
Police discovered Mrs Satchwell’s remains buried under the stairs in the living room of their home. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet.
She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, with the belt of the gown wrapped around her.
A state pathologist said she could not establish the exact cause of death because of how decomposed the body was.
During police interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of 20 March 2017 he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping off the plasterboard, and claimed she came at him with the object and he fell back on to the floor.
He said Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck.
Satchwell said that in a very short period of time she went limp and fell into his arms.
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Now 41.2% of Europe finds itself in some form of drought, according to the latest update from the EU’s European Drought Observatory, which covers 11 to 20 May.
It is most acute in pockets of south-eastern Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Albania, where the strongest “alert” category has been issued, as well as parts of Poland and Ukraine.
But broad stretches of northern and eastern Europe through France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine also drying up, sowing concerns about crop yields.
On Thursday, the UK’s Environment Agency officially declared a drought in North West England after river and reservoir levels were licked away by a dry spring.
Image: More than 40% of Europe was in drought as of 11-20 May 2025. Pic: CEMS / EDO
Image: Heat was record high in March in Europe. The image on the right shows the south of the continent was much wetter than average and the north much drier. Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service
Greece tourism is ‘unsustainable’
In Greece, “overtourism” from millions flocking to its beaches adds further pressure to water supplies, said Nikitas Mylopoulos, professor of water resource management at Thessaly University.
“The tourist sector is unsustainable and there is no planning… leading to a tremendous rise in water demand in summer,” he told Sky News.
“The islands have an intense problem of drought and water scarcity.”
Islands like Santorini and Mykonos are now forced to ship in water from Athens or desalination plants to provide for showers and swimming pools. In the past, many residents could make do with local methods like rainwater harvesting.
But agriculture is a far bigger drain on the country’s water, with waste rife and policies lacking, said Prof Mylopoulos.
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‘Tropical nights’ soar in European hotspots
Wildfire season could be ‘particularly difficult’
This year’s hot and dry conditions are also fuelling the risk of yet another fierce wildfire season in Greece.
Last week civil protection minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis warned of a “particularly difficult” summer.
He said a record 18,000 firefighters have been deployed and the drone fleet almost doubled in a bid to combat fires being fuelled by a hotter climate.
Droughts and their causes are more complicated, but scientists at World Weather Attribution say global warming is exacerbating drought in some parts of the world, including around the Mediterranean.
Image: A drought was declared in northwest England on Thursday. Pic: Reuters
The International Hydropower Association said drought and intense rain in Europe are pushing power plants to “operate at the limits of their existing equipment”.
Extreme weather costs the EU about €28.3bn (£23.8bn) in lost crops and livestock per year, according to insurance firm Howden.
Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at Newcastle University, said: “With global warming, we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods.
“In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought, as well as severe flooding in other locations in Europe.
“Recent months have been no different, with prolonged dry conditions and heatwaves in northern Europe and floods in southern Europe.”
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages after winning his defamation action against the BBC.
The 76-year-old had claimed a BBCSpotlight programme and an online article published in 2016 defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the murder of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement.
A jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour on Friday after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article.
It also found the BBC’s actions were not in good faith and the corporation had not acted in a fair and reasonable way.
Mr Donaldson, 55, was shot dead at a cottage near Glenties, County Donegal in 2006, months after being exposed as a British agent.
The dissident republican group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the killing in 2009 and a Garda investigation is ongoing.
During the civil defamation trial, Mr Adams claimed the Spotlight programme was an “attempted hatchet job” that was “full of inaccuracies”.
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The programme featured an anonymous source named “Martin” who said that murders had to be approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA. When pressed on who he was referring to, “Martin” replied: “Gerry Adams. He gives the final say”.
Mr Adams, who spent seven days in the witness box during the trial, described the allegation as a “grievous smear”.
He told the court that he had “liked” Mr Donaldson and was “shocked” to learn of his murder.
“Personally, I think Denis Donaldson was a victim of the conflict. I don’t see any other way of describing it,” he said.
Image: Gerry Adams outside the High Court in Dublin. Pic: PA
Image: From left: Former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, Denis Donaldson and Gerry Adams. Pic: PA
Speaking outside court after the verdict, Mr Adams, who spoke in both Irish and English, said this case was “about putting manners on the British Broadcasting Corporation”.
Mr Adams told reporters: “The British Broadcasting Corporation upholds the ethos of the British state in Ireland, and in my view it’s out of sync in many, many fronts with the Good Friday Agreement.
“It hasn’t caught on to where we are on this island as part of the process, the continuing process, of building peace and justice, and harmony, and, hopefully, in the time ahead, unity.”
Mr Adams added that he was “very mindful of the Donaldson family” in the course of the case.
He continued: “I want to say that the Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible, and that there’s an onus on both governments and everyone else, and I include myself in this, to try and deal with these legacy issues as best that we can.”
Image: Gerry Adams speaks to media.
Pic: Reuters
Asked what the outcome of the case might mean for his reputation, Mr Adams replied: “I’ve always been satisfied with my reputation.
“Obviously, like yourself, we all have flaws in our character, but the jury made the decision and let’s accept the outcome, and I think let’s accept what the jury said.”
Mr Adams’s legal team sought at least €200,000 (£168,000) in damages. The former Sinn Fein president had said he would give any award received to good causes.
His testimony during the trial was wide-ranging, including a lengthy account of his early years and political awakenings. At times, he became emotional as he recalled past events.
Image: Gerry Adams outside the High Court in Dublin. Pic: PA
The BBC denied it defamed Mr Adams and claimed the Spotlight programme and article were put out in good faith and during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest.
It defended its “responsible journalism” and said that it was the result of careful investigation. The BBC also argued it was merely reporting allegations, rather than standing over them.
The British public service broadcaster also argued it would be a “cruel joke” to award the former Sinn Fein president any damages.
Image: The scene of the 2006 murder of Sinn Fein member and British informant Denis Donaldson.
File pic: PA
Adam Smyth, director of BBC Northern Ireland, expressed disappointment at the outcome of the case.
Speaking to media outside court, Mr Smyth said: “We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial processes and journalistic diligence applied to this programme, and to the accompanying online article.
“Moreover, it was accepted by the court and conceded by Gerry Adams’ legal team that the Spotlight broadcast and publication were of the highest public interest.
“We didn’t want to come to court but it was important that we defend our journalism and we stand by that decision.
“[Northern Ireland’s] past is difficult terrain for any jury and we thank them for their diligence and careful consideration of the issues in this case.
“The implications of their decision, though, are profound. As our legal team made clear, if the BBC’s case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it is hard to see how anyone’s could, and they warned how today’s decision would hinder freedom of expression.”
Image: Director of BBC Northern Ireland, Adam Smyth, outside the High Court in Dublin.
Pic: PA
Image: BBC Spotlight journalist Jennifer O’Leary outside the High Court. Pic: PA
BBC Spotlight reporter Jennifer O’Leary said: “I said in the witness box that I had nothing to hide, only sources to protect, and I want to thank them for trusting me.
“I’m a big believer in trying your best in life and going about your business with integrity, and I want to pay a particular tribute to our witnesses in court, senator Michael McDowell, Trevor Ringland, and in particular Ann Travers, who spoke so courageously.
“There are thousands of Ann Travers across this island and in Britain, victims and survivors of the Troubles, and in the years of violence after the peace agreement … those people carry the burden of their grief and trauma with incredible dignity and courage, and they are the people I am thinking of, I know my colleagues are also thinking of. I am thinking of all of them today.”