She works in healthcare and pays $787 a month for insurance. She still can't afford her daughter's care.

Cassenda Nelson is a mother of four in southwest Georgia.

Photo Courtesy of Cassenda Nelson

• Cassenda Nelson, 47, struggles to afford care for her daughter's complex health conditions.
• Steep insurance premiums and medical debt make it difficult to afford housing, food, and utilities.
• Millions of Americans have medical debt, which can negatively affect household credit scores.

Cassenda Nelson holds her breath when the phone rings.

She knows that it could...