More than a third (35%) of Americans (35%) report that they are unable to pay healthcare in the United States, or an estimated 91 million people, reporting that they don't have access to quality healthcare if they need it today, according to the latest Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordable Price Index. This index has been tracking affordability and access to healthcare in the United States since 2021.
Rates are high among black and Hispanic Americans, respectively, with 46% and 52% reporting not being able to pay high-quality medical care, respectively. High-income Americans remained relatively stable in their ability to access affordable care, but the proportion of affordable prices increased significantly among low-income households. Approximately two-thirds (64%) of those earning less than $24,000 and 57% of households with annual incomes of $24,000 to $48,000 reported difficulties in affordable prices, with an increase of 11 and 12 points since 2023.
The rising trajectory in the inability to pay medical expenses is an unsettling trend that is likely to continue and accelerate. Policy measures at both the state and federal levels are urgently needed, or more Americans must go without treatment, or be forced to make a painful trade-off between paying medical bills or paying for other essentials. The human and economic costs are enormous. ”
Tim Rush, president of West Health Policy Center
The West Health-Gallup Healthcare Alfageability Index divides Americans into one of three groups.
Safe Cost: Haven't faced recent difficulties in accessing care or paying prescription medications recently or the costs are unstable: There is no cost for either care or prescription medication.
Based on these standards, over half (51%) of Americans are considered to be at the lowest level since 2021. Hispanic adults saw the biggest decline in security over the past four years, dropping 17 points to 34%, followed by 13 points to 41%. Overall, around 29 million Americans, or 11% of US adults, are classified as cost despair, a record high.
Since 2021, the healthcare affordability gap has widened, particularly among Hispanic adults (8-point rise to 18%), black adults (5-point rise to 14%), and low-income households, with less than $24,000 a year (11-point rise to 25%), but the situation has remained largely unchanged for white or Americans in middle-class to high-end households. The proportion of Americans over 65 moved to the cost-desperate category alone to 4%, up 3 points to 3 points among those aged 50-64, and up 4 points for those under 50 (currently 14%).
“The affordability and access to healthcare continues to be eroded nationwide. This issue is particularly sharp among black, Hispanic and low-income adults. White adults and high-income families remain largely isolated from these trends of worsening.” “Of these groups, this is the widest gap in access to care we have ever recorded, with many Americans increasing the difficulty year by year.”
Methodology
The West Health-Gallup Healthcare Indices Survey was conducted online and email from November 18th to December 18th. 27, 2024, 6,296 adults ages 18 and older live in 50 US states and the District of Columbia as part of the Gallup Panel™. For results based on a complete sample, the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is ±1.6% points ±1.6% points with approximately 50% response rates and ±1.0% points. The reported subgroup error is large, typically ±3-5% points.
