WASHINGTON, DC — Americans' positive ratings of the quality of U.S. health care are currently at their lowest level in a Gallup trend dating back to 2001.
The 44% of U.S. adults who currently say the quality of their health care is excellent (11%) or good (33%) has steadily declined over the years, dropping a total of 10 points since 2020. Between 2001 and 2020, a majority of 52% to 62% rated the quality of health care in the United States positively. Currently, 54% say it is either fair (38%) or insufficient (16%).
Throughout the 24-year trend, Americans rate the quality of U.S. health insurance even more negatively than they rate it. Only 28% said their coverage was excellent or good, four points below the average since 2001 and well below the 2012 high of 41%.
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These findings come from Gallup's annual Health and Healthcare Poll. The latest update ran from November 6 to 20, 2024.
Since President Donald Trump left office in 2021, ratings of the quality of U.S. health care have plummeted among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Currently, 42% of Republicans and Republicans rate the quality of health care positively, compared with 65% to 68% from 2017 to 2020. Republican opinion on the quality of health care in the United States also declined in 2014 after enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before recovering under the Trump administration.
Positive ratings of health care quality among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have remained static since 2001 and are generally lower than ratings among Republicans. However, the latest 50% approval rating is 8 points higher than Republicans.
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Partisan ratings of U.S. health care followed a similar trajectory to views of quality. Currently, 30% of Democrats and 25% of Republicans rate health care positively.
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Americans' satisfaction with health care costs remains low
In addition to recording below-average ratings for the quality and coverage of health care in the United States, few Americans (19%) say they are satisfied with their health care costs. This measure is unchanged from last year and is trending toward the lower end of this measure, which has averaged 22% since 2001. The highest satisfaction score was 30% in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge is largely due to increased satisfaction among Republicans.
With the exception of 2014-2016, the first few years of the ACA's implementation, Republicans have generally been more satisfied with health care costs than Democrats.
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Health care costs rank among the most pressing health issues facing the United States
An open-ended question measuring Americans' views on the most pressing health issues facing this country found that two issues related to the health care system – cost (23%) and access (14%) – One specific health condition – found to be associated with obesity. (13%) — were mentioned most frequently. Another 6% each cited drug or alcohol abuse and abortion, and 4% each cited mental illness and cancer. Diabetes and influenza or viruses are both cited by 3% of U.S. adults.
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When Gallup first asked this question in 1987, 62% of Americans mentioned AIDS, and AIDS remained the top issue in five subsequent surveys through 1999. In most years since 2000, the most pressing health issues for U.S. adults have been linked to the country's national problems. The focus is on the health care system, i.e. cost and access, rather than specific health conditions.
The exceptions were in 2001, when bioterrorism was cited as the most pressing issue during the anthrax attacks in the United States, in 2014, when references to the Ebola virus were related to cost and access, and during the coronavirus pandemic. It happened in 2020 and 2021 when the pandemic far outweighed all other concerns.
Most Americans say the health care system is in crisis or has serious problems.
Americans' primarily negative views about the coverage and quality of U.S. health insurance are due to the widespread perception that the health care system as a whole has serious problems (54%) or is in crisis (16%) It may be. Seven in 10 Americans now hold these beliefs, which is in line with the trend average of 69%.
25% of U.S. adults say there are minor problems with the system, and only 3% think there are no problems.
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There is near partisan agreement on this measure.
Americans generally rate the quality and coverage of their health care positively.
A majority of Americans continue to rate the quality and coverage of health care in their home country positively, in contrast to their predominantly negative ratings of the quality and coverage of health care in the United States. . Currently, 71% of U.S. adults believe the quality of health care they receive is excellent or good, and 65% say the same about their insurance. Since 2001, there has been little deviation in these measurements.
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Older adults and people with higher incomes have more positive evaluations of the quality and coverage of their health care than older adults.
Americans are also much more likely to say they are satisfied with the amount they pay for health care than the total cost of health care in the United States. 58% are now satisfied with their expenses, down from a high point of 67% in 2020, but about the same. Along with the trend average.
conclusion
Americans' ratings of the quality of U.S. health care have fallen to the lowest in 24 years, and views of national health insurance coverage remain broadly negative. These views may feed into the idea that the U.S. health care system is in deep trouble or in serious crisis. Cost has been cited as the most pressing health care issue in this country. Despite widespread negative opinions about health care in the United States, Americans generally rate their health care positively.
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View complete question answers and trends (PDF download).
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