Growing Number Of Americans Say They Can’t Afford Health Care

A recent survey by West Health and Gallup turned up sobering results: The number of Americans who cannot afford to access necessary health care is the highest it has been in four years.

The survey found 11% of those surveyed between mid-November and late December were unable to afford medication and care they needed. Over a third of the respondents said they doubted they could afford quality medical treatment, if they’d needed it.

According to a story posted on HealthCareDive, Hispanics and Black respondents, as well as those from lowest-income households, were more likely to report difficulty accessing health care.

Overall, just over half – 51% – of respondents reported having the ability to pay for needed care and medicine. That’s down five percentage points since 2021 for all adults and down 13 points for Black adults and 17 points for Hispanic adults.

The cost burden was worsened by changes in Medicaid eligibility, drug shortages and “persistent” consumer and medical inflation, Gallup researchers found.

Meanwhile, 12% of U.S. adults borrowed an estimated $74 billion to pay for needed care this past year and more than half of the adults surveyed said they felt “somewhat” or “very concerned” about going into debt to pay for a major medical event.

What about you? Do you worry that you will be unable to afford the cost of a health care crisis? Share you story with Voices for Affordable Health.