Uninsured patients drive nearly 40% of healthcare collections: Cedar survey

By Cailey Gleeson / March 31, 2026

Nearly 40% of healthcare collections now come from uninsured patients, up 54% in the past three years, a new report from Cedar found.

The health tech company surveyed 4,150 patients across the U.S. and analyzed 1.5 billion patient interactions. 

“More healthcare costs are being pushed onto patients than at any point in history,” the report (PDF) said. “Out-of-pocket spending is rising faster than wages and inflation—driven in large part by a 65% increase in high-deductible health plan enrollment over the last decade. The cost of care, not food or rent, is now Americans’ top financial worry.”

The report notes 20 million individuals are experiencing premium hikes following the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expiration while 10 million others are expected to lose Medicaid coverage through work requirements established under H.R. 1.

Researchers divided patients into two groups: high-capacity patients, those who typically pay bills within six months, and at-risk patients, who typically delay bill payments for six months or more. 

At-risk patients are twice as likely to delay making payments and report 62% lower satisfaction throughout the financial journey, the report notes.

Moreover, 30% of patients report payment options are unaffordable and one in four indicated difficulty covering medical bills—with some patients potentially not receiving payment plans that work within budgets.

Researchers note that while external economic factors affect payment ability, risk models behind collection activity “draw on historical payment data and public records.”

“In today’s volatile coverage environment, that snapshot becomes outdated fast,” the report said. 

Augusta Health CFO Joe Meador said in the report that AR predictability tools help prioritize accounts and accelerate collection. 

“But they're not factoring in unique patient personas or circumstances,” Meador said. “There's definitely an opportunity to go deeper.”

The report also examined the impact of payment reminders on patients. Twenty percent of respondents said reminders “arrive at inconvenient times,” including 45% of at-risk patients. Researchers recommend that identifying risk should be accompanied by an intervention that is “both timely and relevant.”  

Like increasing use of artificial intelligence chatbots for health information, one in two respondents also said they are using AI tools to interpret bills and resolve issues. 

“It’s the first time that you actually have a system that has a full composite of human knowledge built into it,” said Brad Lightcap, OpenAI COO, in the report. “As the AI gets to know you better, its ability to be precise and specific can be much more significant.”