For example, it says that 85% of Americans have medical debt. I probably owe a copay or two that gets lost in the mail and I eventually pay. Do I count in that 85%?
Net worth includes retirement accounts and equity in homes. There are a lot of people in this group who are "house rich, cash poor". They may have a $500k home and $500k in their 401k, but they don't have $1 million in cash on hand. That's something you might access for an emergency or to cover costs for serious health issues, but it's not the sort of capital you dip into for much less than that.