Is it true that half of Americans can't afford healthcare?

Yes, recent polling data indicates that slightly more than half of U.S. adults struggle to afford healthcare, with just 49% classified as financially secure regarding medical costs.

📊 The Data on Affordability

According to the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index, only 49% of American adults are considered "Cost Secure," meaning they can comfortably access and pay for quality care and prescriptions. The remaining population falls into categories representing financial strain:

• 📉 41% Cost Insecure: Lacking access to care or recently unable to pay for medical visits or medications.
• ⚠️ 10% Cost Desperate: Lacking access to care and unable to pay for both medical care and prescription drugs.
• 🗒 28% Delayed Care: Adults who skipped or postponed needed care in the past year due to cost, according to findings from KFF.

🔎 Key Demographic Strains

• 📉 Low-Income Households: Those earning under $24,000 annually face a 25% "cost desperate" rate, and 64% report being unable to access care.
• ⚠️ Racial Disparities: Only 38% of Black adults and 32% of Hispanic adults are classified as cost secure, compared to 55% of White adults.
• 💡 The Middle Class: Roughly one in three households earning between $120,000 and $179,999 report lacking cost security.

About 51% of U.S. adults struggle to consistently afford or access quality healthcare, with roughly 11% (about 29 million people) classified as completely "cost desperate" and unable to pay for both care and medicine.

Affordability Breakdown

According to data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index, the public's ability to afford care sits near record lows:

• Cost Secure (49%): Adults who can afford care and prescriptions.
• Cost Insecure (41%): Adults who lack access to affordable care or cannot recently pay for visits or medicine.
• Cost Desperate (10% to 11%): Adults who completely lack access and cannot afford needed care or medicine.

Who Is Affected Most?

• Low-Income Households: About 25% of individuals earning under $24,000 per year are "cost desperate".
• Young Adults: Americans aged 18 to 29 face the steepest declines, with only 32% considered cost secure.
• Divergent Demographics: Black and Hispanic adults report significantly higher rates of being unable to afford care compared to white adults.
• General Hardship: According to KFF, about 44% of adults overall describe general healthcare costs as "very" or "somewhat" difficult to afford, and 22% report problems paying medical bills.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Hispanic people have the highest uninsured rates in the United States.

According to data from KFF, the uninsured rates for people under age 65 break down as follows:

• American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN): 18.9%
• Hispanic: 18.4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI): 12.3%
• Black: 10.1%
• White: 6.8%
• Asian: 5.7%

Americans struggle to afford healthcare because medical prices, monthly insurance fees, and prescription drugs rise much faster than normal inflation in a profit-focused market. Recent data shows that fewer than half of all U.S. adults feel financially secure about accessing quality medical care.

Main Cost Factors

• High Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Patients face steep deductibles (the set amount you pay yourself before insurance kicks in) and copays (fixed fees for doctor visits). According to reports from KFF, 44% of adults find these costs hard to manage.
• Rising Insurance Premiums: The monthly price to keep a health plan active continues to climb. Research from Gallup highlights that affordability hits lower-income households and younger adults the hardest.
• Expensive Prescription Drugs: Many patients skip or delay taking necessary medication because they cannot afford the pharmacy prices.
• Gaps in Insurance Protection: Studies from groups like the Commonwealth Fund show that having health insurance does not always stop people from building up heavy medical debt. Experts attribute these high baseline prices to a system driven heavily by corporate profits for drug makers and insurance companies.

Many people afford health insurance through employer-sponsored plans, government programs like Medicaid, or income-based subsidies on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, though rising costs leave many struggling.

People use several key approaches and programs to manage and afford coverage:

Government and Marketplace Programs

• ACA Marketplace Subsidies: Many enrollees lower their monthly payments using income-based tax credits, though expiration of enhanced federal credits has increased premiums for many. You can check your options on HealthCare.gov.
• Medicaid and CHIP: Low-income adults and children qualify for free or low-cost coverage through state-administered Medicaid programs.
• Employer-Sponsored Plans: Most working Americans rely on company-provided plans where employers pay a large portion of the monthly premium, though family coverage and deductibles can still be costly.
• Medicare: Adults aged 65 and older access coverage through Medicare, with low-income beneficiaries utilizing "Extra Help" for prescription drug costs.

Coping Strategies and Financial Assistance

• High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs): Consumers choose plans with lower monthly premiums paired with high deductibles, often using Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to save pre-tax money for medical bills.
• Hospital Charity Care: Uninsured or underinsured individuals apply for sliding-scale fees or financial assistance directly through local hospital financial aid programs.
• Cutting Essentials: Many households report reducing spending on other basic necessities, such as food and utilities, to pay for rising health insurance premiums and medications.