With Congress failing to pass a proposal to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) beyond 2025, more Americans are making drastic choices to pay for skyrocketing health insurance costs. A recent Gallup poll found that one-third of respondents have made one or more significant trade-offs to pay for medicine or healthcare.
Of those surveyed, 15% reported having to stretch out a current prescription or borrow money to cover expenses in the previous year. More than one in ten (11%) have had to skip a meal to make up for rising healthcare costs.
These sacrifices are most drastic for those living in states ranked low in overall healthcare. In states in the top ten of the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America’s rankings, 30% of respondents reported having to make one or more trade-offs to pay for healthcare. In the bottom ten states, the share rose to 41%.
Americans are also putting off major life events to pay for healthcare. The Gallup survey found that 6% reported delaying having or adopting a child, 9% have postponed retirement, and 26% have put off major surgical or medical treatments due to rising costs. Additionally, 29% have postponed a vacation because of healthcare costs.
“As living costs continue to rise, the effects of unaffordable healthcare are not only confined to medical expenses and decisions,” the Gallup report stated. “These findings show that healthcare costs are shaping how Americans think about the way they live, work, and plan for the future.”
More information on the Gallup report, including links to the survey’s methodology and topline results, can be found here.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.