Americans are the unfortunate main characters of a dramatic tale: a record 91 million people cannot afford basic healthcare despite trillions in government spending.
Although the federal government allocates $4.9 trillion in healthcare a year, everyday Americans are drowning in medical debt and avoiding doctor visits.
West Health Policy Center president Tim Lash states, “The rising trajectory in the inability to pay for healthcare is a disturbing trend that is likely to continue and even accelerate.”
According to a recent Gallup report, over a third of American adults now cannot access quality healthcare when needed.
This crisis has reached unprecedented levels despite the $14,570 spent per person on healthcare by the federal government in 2023.
The gap between those who can afford care and those who cannot has dramatically widened since 2021, creating a two-tier system that leaves millions of hardworking Americans behind.
The numbers paint a devastating picture of government failure. While 305 million Americans have some form of health insurance, 26 million remain completely uninsured.
Even more alarming, four in ten adults are struggling with debt from unpaid medical or dental bills, and over 70 million Americans avoid doctor visits altogether due to prohibitive costs.
Hispanic Americans have been hit hardest under current policies, with a staggering 52% unable to afford quality healthcare.
Black Americans follow closely with 46% unable to pay medical bills. These statistics expose how the current administration’s healthcare approach has failed minority communities who were promised better access and affordability.
“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.
Lower-income Americans are bearing the brunt of this crisis. An alarming 64% of people earning less than $24,000 and 57% of those earning between $24,000 and $48,000 cannot afford necessary healthcare.
Only 23% of households earning less than $24,000 are now considered “cost secure” – a dramatic 14-point drop since 2021.
Meanwhile, Americans earning over $48,000 have remained relatively stable in their access to affordable care, revealing a growing class divide in healthcare access.
Meanwhile, drug prices continue to soar, with increases affecting over 770 medications, including critical treatments for diabetes and cancer.
Drugmakers justify these price hikes as necessary for research, but Americans are paying the price.
A record 11% of adults (roughly 29 million people) are now classified as “cost desperate” – unable to afford any healthcare whatsoever and forced to make impossible choices between medicine and basic necessities.
The situation has become so dire that 12% of adults – representing an estimated $74 billion in borrowing – have taken on debt just to pay for healthcare in 2024.
Nearly 60% of Americans fear going into medical debt from a major health event. This financial anxiety has real consequences for families who must choose between seeking care and avoiding financial ruin.
Factors like consumer and medical inflation, drug shortages, and declining Medicaid and CHIP enrollment worsen the situation.
