An alarming healthcare crisis is threatening to get out of control after it was revealed that a record number of Americans cannot afford basic medical care.
A shocking new Gallup report reveals that over a third of US adults, roughly 91 million Americans, now cannot access quality healthcare when needed.
The alarming statistics come from West Health and Gallup’s Healthcare Indices Study, which surveyed over 6,000 adults nationwide.
While the federal government spends nearly $5 trillion on healthcare each year, the system leaves 26 million Americans completely uninsured and millions more unable to use the insurance they have due to sky-high costs.
Four in ten Americans currently have medical or dental debt, with over 70 million avoiding doctor visits altogether because they simply cannot afford them.
The financial burden falls heaviest on working-class families, with 64% of those earning under $24,000 and 57% of those earning between $24,000 and $48,000 struggling to pay for basic care.
The divide between Americans who can and cannot afford healthcare has widened dramatically since 2021.
Only 51% of Americans are considered “cost secure” – the lowest level since measurements began.
Meanwhile, a record 11% (approximately 29 million people) are now classified as “cost desperate,” unable to afford care even in emergencies.
“Healthcare affordability and access continue to erode nationally, and this issue is especially acute among Black, Hispanic, and lower-income adults,” said Gallup senior researcher Dan Witters.
Hispanic Americans have been hit hardest, with 52% now unable to afford quality healthcare – a staggering 17-point decline in security since 2021.
Black Americans follow closely behind, with 46% unable to pay their medical bills.
These disparities between racial and income groups are now at their highest levels since the survey began.
Drug prices continue to rise for over 770 medications, including essential treatments for diabetes and cancer.
Meanwhile, declining enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP shows the programs are failing to reach those most in need.
Nearly 60% of Americans now fear going into debt from a major medical event, with 12% having already borrowed money this year to pay for healthcare – a total of around $74 billion in healthcare-related loans.
“The rising trajectory in the inability to pay for healthcare is a disturbing trend that is likely to continue and even accelerate,” declared West Health Policy Center president Tim Lash.
He added:
“Policy action at both the state and federal level is urgently needed, or even more Americans will have to go without treatment or be forced to make painful tradeoffs between paying for medical care or paying for other necessities. The human and economic costs are enormous.”
For families already struggling with inflation and rising costs across the board, medical expenses have become an unbearable burden.
