About 23 million Americans owe at least $250 in medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), and about 11 million of them owe more than $2,000. Although only about 10% of the population has unpaid medical debt, millions more people spend more than they can afford every month on insurance, prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, copayments, and more. shares, deductibles and other disbursements. costs.

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In total, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield, healthcare expenditures in the United States amount to $3 trillion annually, an enormous sum that places a strain on businesses, families and individuals.

The average non-elderly family spends $8,200 a year on health care, or 11% of their income, and that doesn’t include employer contributions. The largest percentage goes to state and federal taxes that support health care programs. The second largest chunk concerns health insurance premiums, with out-of-pocket costs coming third.

You can’t avoid paying taxes, and most people can’t do much about paying their premiums, but everyone can take steps to cut their household’s health care costs in big ways. and small. Here are some of the simplest and easiest ways to reduce those bills.