Poll finds Americans cutting back elsewhere to fund health

 Many Americans are forced to make difficult trade-offs with living expenses and delay life events like retirement to afford health, says a new poll.

The Gallup/West Health survey (PDF) of around 20,000 adults last year paints a picture of worsening healthcare affordability in the US, with Black and Hispanic populations disproportionately affected, and "critically low" public opinion about the quality of care.

All told, 33% of those polled reported making at least one trade-off to pay for healthcare expenses, such as borrowing money, skipping a meal, driving less, or cutting back on heating or other utilities, with even middle-income families feeling the strain.

Those decisions also extend to medicine use, with 15% of respondents – equivalent to 39 million Americans – also saying they had skipped doses to eke out the time covered by a prescription, buying time before having to pay for a refill.

For the uninsured, nearly two-thirds (62%) say they have made at least one trade-off to pay for healthcare, with 32% borrowing money and 24% prolonging prescriptions, compared to nearly three in 10 of insured respondents.

Among other findings, nearly 10% of those surveyed said they had postponed retirement due to health costs, 18% stuck with an existing job rather than changing employment, 14% put off buying a new home, and 6% postponed having a child.

"These findings show that healthcare costs are shaping how Americans think about the way they live, work, and plan for the future," write the authors of the report.

The pollsters suggest that the situation is set to worsen in 2026, as millions face higher insurance premiums and rising out-of-pocket costs as the expiration of some Affordable Care Act subsidies and upcoming cuts to Medicaid enrolment threaten coverage.

"Collectively, these shifts could leave millions of Americans without health insurance at a time when financial stress is already running high," according to the report.

Medicare price negotiations "a step forward"

The Medicare pricing negotiations introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – introduced under the Biden administration and with lower pricing for some medicines beginning at the start of this year – are "a significant step toward lowering prices," according to Gallup/West Health.

However, they added that, "while these reforms are anticipated to improve the affordability of prescription drugs in Medicare, the impact may not be felt by Americans covered under employer-based insurance unless these reforms are adopted by the private sector."

The report cites KFF data suggesting that average annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance have risen 7%, for the second consecutive year, to over $25,000, with employees contributing an average of nearly $6,300.

"These findings underscore that healthcare affordability is not just a health issue: It is a significant economic and societal challenge that affects nearly every aspect of life," write the pollsters.

"If the current trend continues, the situation is likely to worsen unless significant healthcare reforms are enacted."

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