High costs rather than access are the top health care concern<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 Nearly 1 in 4 Americans believe the U.S. health care system is in crisis, and high costs are the top reason why, according to a new poll.<\/p>\n
The data, released Dec. 15 by Gallup Inc.,<\/a> showed that 29% of adults consider the biggest health problem facing the country to be the cost of care.<\/p>\n Another 23% said the health care system is either in crisis or has major problems, one of the highest levels Gallup has ever recorded.<\/p>\n Gallup surveyed about 1,300 adults between Nov. 3 and Nov. 25. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.<\/p>\n About 81% of Democrats and 64% of Republicans said the health care system is in serious trouble, the poll also showed.<\/p>\n Cost worries are growing faster than concerns about access. Many people now say the problem isn\u2019t that they lack insurance, it\u2019s that they can\u2019t afford<\/em> to use it.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t have the plans,” Lydia Saad<\/a>, director of U.S. social research at Gallup, told The Washington Post<\/em>. \u201cThey can\u2019t afford the plans.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawmakers recently argued over whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Those subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year.<\/p>\n If that happens, average insurance premiums could more than double, according to estimates from KFF, a nonprofit that studies health care policy.<\/p>\n Public concern about health care costs has risen sharply since last year. Gallup also found that worry about costs rose 12 percentage points among Democrats and 10 points among Republicans.<\/p>\n Among independents? Concern stayed about the same.<\/p>\n Gallup found a long-standing divide in how Americans view health care costs. In all, 16% said they are satisfied with the overall cost of U.S. health care, but 57% said they are satisfied with what they personally pay.<\/p>\n That gap may reflect fear of what could happen during a medical emergency.<\/p>\n “Even if they\u2019re not having trouble paying for it today,” surprise bills could cause serious financial harm, Liz Hamel<\/a>, vice president of public opinion research at KFF, told The Post.<\/em><\/p>\n A recent KFF survey<\/a> found that more than one-third of Americans had delayed or skipped medical care because of cost. About 1 in 5 said their health got worse as a result.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth care is a pocketbook issue for people,\u201d Hamel said.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n KFF has more on health care costs and affordability<\/a>.<\/p>\n