Brian Klausner News Today

Kayce Atencio used to be haunted by a thought while working at a homeless shelter in downtown Denver. "It could have been me," said Atencio, 30, who lives in a small apartment with his son and daughter not far from the shelter.

Across the country, medical debt forces legions of Americans to make painful sacrifices. Many cut back on food, take on extra work, or drain retirement savings. For millions like Atencio, the health care system is threatening their very homes.

Saddled with debt from health care, many Americans are forced into painful tradeoffs. And some are losing their homes.

As cities like Denver struggle to make homes more affordable, medical debt keeps housing out of reach for millions of Americans.

As cities like Denver struggle to make homes more affordable, medical debt keeps housing out of reach for millions of Americans.

Across the country, medical debt forces legions of Americans to make painful sacrifices.

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Posted January 1, 2021 5:00 a.m. EST EDITORS NOTE: Brian Klausner, is a primary care physician and medical director at WakeMed Community Population Health program and co-chair of the Wake County Familiar Face Population Health Task Force. I have had the opportunity to work with homeless patient populations throughout my career in medicine. For years, I have witnessed expensive societal shoulder shrugs and reflections of blame on to homeless patients for the severe pathol...