Nearly one-third of Americans skipped needed medical care in the past three months due to cost, the highest reported number since the COVID-19 pandemic began and a threefold increase from March to October, according to the latest survey from the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization West Health and Gallup, the global analytics and advice firm and their press release.
Even about 20% of the nation’s highest-income households — those earning more than $120,000 per year — blame cost as the reason for not seeking care, up from 3% over the same timeframe.
The survey also found that the COVID-19 experience has significantly shaped public opinion of the U.S. healthcare system, which an estimated 100 million Americans would self-describe as either “expensive” or “broken.”
Nearly half (48%) of Americans say their view of healthcare in America has decidedly worsened due to the pandemic. An estimated 150 million Americans (59%) say they are now more worried about the cost of healthcare services and 45% are more worried about the cost of prescription drugs. It is no wonder more than half the country reports that the high cost of healthcare contributes some (36%) or a lot (15%) of stress to their daily lives.
Another 60% report higher concern over growing healthcare inequities, a concern that rises to nearly 75% of Black Americans and more than two-thirds of Hispanic Americans. An estimated 12.7 million people, or one in 20 American adults, report that a friend or family member died this year after not receiving treatment because they could not afford it, with Black Americans twice as likely to know someone who died as White Americans.
This nationally representative survey of more than 6,600 American adults (18+) comes as a new COVID-19 variant emerges and the death toll from COVID-19 nears 800,000.
The full findings of this latest survey and comparative findings from a series of previous surveys conducted over the last year were published in the West Health-Gallup 2021 Healthcare in America Report.
Despite attempts in Washington to address high healthcare prices through Build Back Better legislation, more than two-thirds of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, are pessimistic that policies that reduce costs will emerge. In fact, nine in 10 expect their costs to continue to rise and 42% are concerned they will be unable to pay for healthcare services in the coming year.
National health spending is nearly $4 trillion in this country — approximately 20% of GDP — making it the most expensive healthcare system in the world.
