A new study by The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation finds that more and more residents of the US are facing financial difficulties because of health care expenses.

The study estimates that 57 million Americans live in families struggling with medical bills, and 43 million of those have insurance coverage. “It’s hitting both the insured and the uninsured, and it’s hitting middle-class families,” said Karen Davis, the president of the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit research organization that financed the study.

Because they are already in debt over their medical care, some families start forgoing treatments, even for serious or chronic conditions, Ms. Davis said. By deciding not to fill a prescription for high blood pressure medication or failing to go to the doctor for diabetes, they are at risk of incurring more serious and costly problems that can land them in the emergency room.

Total cost of employer provided health insurance for a family has risen to $12,680, which would be $7,680 more than the McCain tax credit. In addition the number of employees with deductibles above $1,000 has doubled.

But if we all close our eyes and chant Market Magic three times everything will turn out just fine.

See the health policy index of this blog for more on this topic.