High Healthcare Costs in America: A Struggle for Many

Americans spend more per capita on health care than people in any other developed nation, but nearly half say they have recently struggled to pay for medical or prescription drugs, according to a new study from Gallup and Western Health.

A Growing Financial Burden

About 45% of people surveyed by these organizations said they had recently had to skip treatment or medication, either because of cost or lack of easy access. Of those, about 8% say they don’t have access to affordable health care if they need it today, a group that Gallup and West Health describe as “cost-prohibitive.”

The study found that while 55% of Americans are “cost-covered,” meaning they can afford care and drugs, that’s down from 61% in 2022.

Rising Insurance Costs

Tim Lash, president of West Health, a nonprofit focused on promoting affordable health care, said more people are struggling with health care costs, in part because of rising inflation and long-term trends in insurance plans. Higher deductibles and less comprehensive coverage. Approximately 94% of respondents believe that they or Americans as a whole pay too much for health care and that it is not money well spent.

According to the Peterson-KFF Healthcare Tracker, Americans spend an average of $12,555 per person per year on healthcare. Their analysis found that, by comparison, typical health care spending in other developed countries is about $6,651.

Challenges Faced by Certain Groups

The Gallup-West Health Study also found that affordability gaps are wider among certain groups, with black and Hispanic people more likely to face problems paying for medical care or prescriptions. Older Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 (those who are not yet eligible for Medicare starting at age 65) also face more challenges, the study found.

“To me, there’s an opportunity in the data — it clearly shows that this is an unacceptable pain point,” Rush said. “I hope we can use these types of results to enact meaningful reforms.”