Finally, families with children are more likely to report medical indebtedness than families without children. (See table 6, appendix A.) This is another way of saying that increased financial responsibilities are incurred in families with children and that medical indebtedness is distributed unevenly.

APPENDIX A, TABLE 1.-Percent of families with some medical indebtedness' at end of the survey year, July 1953, by family income for families with and without insurance

1 In no instances did the amount unknown exceed 1 percent,

* Outstanding medical indebtedness includes debts owed to hospitals, physicians, dentists, and other suppliers of medical goods and services at the end of the survey year less any amount which the family planned to pay on such bills during the month following the interview.

APPENDIX A, TABLE 2.—Percent of families with medical indebtedness under $951 at the end of the survey year, July 1953 for families with and without insur

APPENDIX A, TABLE 3.-Percent of families with medical indebtedness from $95 to $194 at the end of the survey year, July 1953 for families with and without insurance

APPENDIX A, TABLE 4.-Percent of families with medical indebtedness of $1951 and over at the end of the survey year, July 1953, for families with and without insurance

APPENDIX A, TABLE 5.-Families reporting medical indebtedness, by family income and percent of income paid out for health

The amount of income paid out for health is net outlay plus amount paid by the family for hospital, surgical, or medical expense insurance. Net outlay excludes benefits received from hospital, surgical, or medical expense insurance,

? For definition of indebte iness see footnote 1, table 1.

This percentage has not been computed for groups of under 50 families.

APPENDIX A, TABLE 6.-Families reporting medical indebtedness, by type of family, for families with some insurance and families with no insurance

For those who wish to examine the data regarding family debts, due financial institutions, banks, and individuals incurred because of costs of personal health services, the following tables are included.

APPENDIX B, TABLE 1.-Number of families who reported borrowing during the survey year to pay for personal health services, by source of funds, and average and median amounts borrowed

Includes banks, small loan companies, credit unions, and in 3 instances, life-insurance companies.

APPENDIX B, TABLE 2.-Percentage of families who reported borrowing to pay for personal health services, by family income, for families with insurance and families with no insurance

Included here are families who reported borrowing money during the survey year from regular lending institutions, friends, relatives, or any other source, for the express purpose of paying for personal health

services.

• Percentages not computed for groups of less than 50 families.

APPENDIX B, TABLE 3.-Percentage of families reporting that they borrowed to pay for personal health services, by type of family

Included here are families who reported borrowing money during the survey year from regular lending institutions, friends, relatives, or any other source, for the express purpose of paying for medical or dental

care.

APPENDIX B, TABLE 4.-Percentage of families reporting borrowing to meet charges for personal health services, by size of family

1 Included here are families who reported borrowing money during the survey year from regular bed a institutions, friends, relatives, or any other source, for the express purpose of paying for personal bea.. services.

APPENDIX B, TABLE 5.-Percentage of families reporting borrowing to meet charges for personal health services by percent of family income paid out for health

1 The amount of income paid out for health is net outlay plus amounts paid by the family for your N health insurance. Net outlay excludes hospital, surgical, and medical insurance benichts,

* Included here are families who reported borrowing money during the survey year from its institutions, friends, relatives, or any other source, for the express purpose of paying for pers wi services.

A DESCRIPTION OF HIF'S PURPOSES AND RESEARCH PROJECTS

WHAT IS HIF

Health Information Foundation was established in February 1950 by lea in the drug, pharmaceutical, and allied industries to gather and distribute bask information about health. Its purposes are:

To give to the American people a better understanding of our health services and facilities and what they have achieved.

To help bring about the best utilization of these facilities and serv by all the American people, particularly by making them available thr the maximum extension of the principles of voluntary health insurates To contribute toward further improvement of health services and facilities.

A positive approach

The foundation's approach to these purposes is positive and constructive. is concerned solely with collecting and disseminating factual, objective hea h information. It does not issue propaganda and does not attempt to influer. * legislation. The fundamental premise upon which HIF's policy is based is that the American people, once they are accurately informed upon any importa matter, will act wisely. The foundation further supports the principle a people achieve greater freedom and happiness when they help themselves 12 stead of looking to others to do things for them.