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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. This will just take a minute.

Remember the heady days of 2007 before the large economy sized recession? Well, even back then medical problems contributed to over 62 percent of all bankruptcies¹, that’s according to a study by researchers at Harvard Med, Harvard Law and Ohio University just published online and scheduled for the August issue of the American Journal of Medicine. The authors note that with the recession, the 62 percent figure’s likely gone up even more. David Himmelstein, the lead author of the study said, “Our findings are frightening. Unless you’re Warren Buffett, your family’s just one serious illness away from bankruptcy².” He also noted³ that private health insurance is a defective⁴ product, akin⁵ to an umbrella that melts in the rain. And co-author Steffie Woolhandler said, “We need to rethink health reform. Covering the uninsured is not enough. Reform also needs to help families already have insurance by upgrading their coverage⁶ and assuring that they never lose it.” Reforms that expand phony insurance, stripped-down plans riddled⁷ with co-payments , deductibles and exclusions⁸ won’t stem the rising tide of medical bankruptcy.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American 60-second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky.