By Aimee Picchi
December 14, 2021
Nearly a third of Americans — triple the share since March— say they’ve skipped medical care for a health problem in the previous three months due to concerns about the cost, according to a new study from Gallup and West Health.
The surge in Americans who avoid medical care because of financial concerns comes as COVID-19 cases are flaring across much of the nation and after many people had put off seeking routine care during the initial phase of the pandemic. Now that more are catching up on doctors’ visits, they are facing often onerous costs. Some health expenses have increased in the past year, such as prescription medications, with drug prices outpacing inflation.
Skipping treatment can have dire outcomes, and the survey found that almost 13 million Americans know a friend or family member who died because they couldn’t afford medical care. And 20% of adults say they or someone in their household has had a health issue worsen after postponing care because of its price.
“American tend to think there is a group of lower-income people and they have worse healthcare than the rest of us, and the rest of us, we’re OK,” said Tim Lash, chief strategy officer for West Health, a nonprofit focused on lowering healthcare costs. “What we are seeing now in this survey is this group of people who are identifying themselves as struggling with healthcare costs is growing.”
He added, “It’s moving beyond those who might be considered average or lower income relative to the national mean, and moving all the way up to those making over $120,000.”
About 23% of Americans say that paying for healthcare represents a major financial burden, with that figure reaching a third for people who earn less than $48,000 a year. Out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and insurance premiums have been rising, taking a bite out of household budgets.
Among those experiencing financial pain from healthcare is Angie Korol, who participated in the Gallup-West Health study. The researchers spoke with more than 6,000 people in September and October about their concerns and experiences with affording healthcare treatment.
Korol, of Gresham, Oregon, said her family is covered by her husband’s employer-based healthcare, but that they pay insurance premiums of about $2,200 a month for herself and their child.
“It’s not great for our budget,” said Korol, 40, an accounting student. “We’re making it, but some months are scraping by our teeth.”
Korol said she’d opted to delay medical care in the past. Prior to the pandemic, her family was on the state’s Medicaid program — and she was worried that legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act would eventually again permit health insurers to snub people with pre-existing conditions.
As a result, Korol delayed getting a diagnosis for an autoimmune disorder for more than a year. Now that she’s received a diagnosis, she’s facing a two-month delay to see a rheumatologist due to strong patient demand.
“It shouldn’t take two months to get into the rheumatic arthritis person,” she said. “It makes me feel worried, because what if it takes longer the next time?”
The medical system “is broken,” Korol added.
Americans are increasingly skeptical that they’re getting their money’s worth when it comes to medical care, the study found. About 52% adults said their most recent healthcare experience wasn’t worth the cost, up from 43% in April. Overall, 9 in 10 Americans say people are paying too much for the quality of healthcare they are receiving.
“If you survey consumers, people want to believe we have the best care and therefore get the best value,” Lash said. “People are opening their eyes to the fragility of the medical system and its inability to solve all problems for us.”
The U.S. healthcare system “outperforms” on cost — Americans pay more for medical care than citizens of any other developed nation — but “by just about every other measure, like life expectancy, infant mortality, you name it, we’re at the bottom,” Lash said.