Not only does it contribute to high egg prices and increased housing costs, it also contributes to the unhappiness of Americans in the cost of living. Even before government compensation was cut, healthcare remains stubbornly affordable for millions of people, according to a new survey released Wednesday, which highlights the struggle many have with doctor visits and paying prescription drugs.
In the survey, 11% of people said they couldn't afford medication and care within the past three months. This is the highest level in the four years the survey was conducted. More than a third of the surveyed, representing around 91 million adults, said they cannot pay for it if they need medical care.
The survey, conducted by Western Health and Gallup from mid-November to late December 2024, showed that the gap between black and Hispanic adults is widening and earning small amounts. A quarter of people with annual household incomes under $24,000 said they were unable to provide care within the past three months.
“The extent to which it spreads and expands actually reveals how vulnerable these classes of individuals are,” said Dan Witters, a senior researcher at Gallup.
White adults and high-income earners said they have not experienced any real change in their ability to pay. Research shows that 8% of white adults cannot afford care, the same share as in 2021.
The higher premiums, additional costs for physicians, and recent rollbacks in Medicaid coverage all contribute to making it difficult for people to afford care. As the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have argued, repealing the dramatic cuts on Medicaid and tax removal that cuts costs on the Obamacare plan is likely to exacerbate the issue, experts said.
“It puts even more pressure on systems that are already prevalent and have financial toxicity,” said Tim Rush, president of the West Health Policy Center. Many families are already struggling with medical debt, he said. Unlike doing it without a new blender, people who refrain from care can suffer or die, he said.
Sarah R. Collins, vice president of medical compensation and access for the Nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, said: Even if people have insurance, many people don't have enough coverage to pay for their healthcare costs.
If the hundreds of billions of dollars of cuts that Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration are considering, the number of people who can't afford care is likely to rise, she said.
“We're back to the level that existed before the affordable care law,” she said.
