Record high can't afford health care: Gallup
The share of U.S. adults who have recently been unable to afford health care has reached a new high, according to report published by Gallup, with Black and Hispanic adults accounting for much of the increase.
The Gallup report, conducted in partnership with the nonprofit West Health, found that 11 percent of U.S. adults — roughly 29 million — have recently been unable to afford or access quality health care. That marks a 3 percentage point increase since 2021. The analysis indicated, however, that there was no 'meaningful change' in the proportion of white U.S. adults or middle- to high-income earners in that time.
'The most notable increases since 2021 have occurred among Hispanic adults (up eight percentage points to 18%), Black adults (up five points to 14%,) and the lowest-income households, earning under $24,000 per year (up 11 points to 25%),' the report found.
Adults who found themselves unable to access or afford quality health care were classified as 'cost desperate' for the purposes of the report.
The percentage of adults who could be considered cost desperate increased across age ranges, though to varying degrees. Among those 65 and older the rate rose by 1 percentage point between 2021 and 2024, reaching 4 percent, while it climbed 3 points to 11 percent among those aged 50 to 64 and 4 points to 14 percent among those younger than 50.
At the same time, the proportion of adults who could be classified as 'cost secure' — defined as individuals who have 'access to quality, affordable care and can pay for needed care and medicine' by Gallup and West Health — reached its lowest level. Only half of adults qualified for this category.
Across demographics, the percentage of Hispanic adults considered to be cost secure fell the most, going from 51 percent to 34 percent. Among Black adults, the percentage of those who were cost secure fell by 13 percentage points down to 41 percent. The percentage of white adults in 2024 who were cost secure remained the same when compared to 2021.
Gallup stated these findings are further indication of an increasing disparity in quality health care access across racial and ethnic groups.
'The erosion of cost security in healthcare comes with serious practical implications for the American public,' the Gallup report stated. 'Recent research from West Health and Gallup shows that 12% of U.S. adults report borrowing money to pay for healthcare last year, amounting to an estimated $74 billion borrowed, and nearly 60% of U.S. adults report feeling 'somewhat' or 'very' concerned about going into debt due to a major medical event.'
The report comes as Republicans in Congress are eyeing likely cuts to Medicaid to pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Medicaid covers roughly a fifth of Americans, and if federal funding is cut, states are unlikely to be able to make up the difference, as health policy research group KFF noted last month.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pritzker signs bill to end step therapy for Alzheimer's patients in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Starting next month, Alzheimer's patients with state insurance in Illinois will have access to new FDA-approved treatment and medicine. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Tuesday that would eliminate 'step therapy,' meaning patients will no longer have to try cheaper drugs before taking medication prescribed by their doctor. Advocates for the law said it will save patients money. David Olsen, of the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter, said, 'Because these are expensive treatments where the average person doesn't have access to them unless their insurance is going to pay for it whether that's through Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.' The law will also cover diagnostic testing needed to confirm an Alzheimer's diagnosis, beginning in 2027. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Most oppose GOP policy bill: Survey
More than half of voters oppose the domestic policy bill that President Trump has pushed Republicans in Congress to pass by July 4, according to a poll released Wednesday. Quinnipiac University's national survey found less than a third of registered voters surveyed support Trump's agenda-setting One Big Beautiful Bill Act, while 53 percent oppose the legislation. Twenty percent have no opinion on the megabill. The bill was overwhelmingly opposed by Democrats (89 percent) and independents (57 percent), while two-thirds of Republicans said they support the bill. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes major cost-cutting reforms to Medicaid that experts say will lead to millions of people losing coverage by 2034. It would force states to implement new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, but supporters of the bill say that will mostly affect people who entered the U.S. illegally and 'able-bodied' adults who should be working. The Quinnipiac poll found overwhelming support for Medicaid, though, as 87 percent of respondents said they oppose cuts to the health care program. Just 10 percent said federal Medicaid spending should be cut, while 47 percent said funding should be increased and 40 percent said it should stay the same. 'With Medicaid's future as a health care safety net for millions suddenly uncertain, voters make it clear they want the 60-year-old program for those in need to be handled with care,' Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy said. Twenty-one percent of Republicans surveyed said they think federal funding for Medicaid should increase, 56 percent said it should stay about the same, and 18 percent said it should be cut. Nearly 70 percent of Democrats and 47 percent of independents surveyed think federal funding for Medicaid should increase, while 2 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of independents think it should decrease. The Big Beautiful Bill ACT narrowly passed the House last month and is under review in the Senate, where some Republicans have argued that it doesn't cut federal spending enough. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Kathy Hochul's gutless silence on assisted suicide is a betrayal: Rep. Stefanik
Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul attacked Republicans for their budget bill that aims to rein in wasteful and fraudulent federal spending. 'I believe that we should try to prevent our constituents from dying,' she declared. Now, just two weeks later, New Yorkers have proof that these words from Hochul's lips are a cruel lie. My heart shatters for our state: Hochul's gutless silence on the so-called assisted suicide bill passed by Albany's far-left Democrats isn't just cowardice; it's a betrayal of every New Yorker clinging to hope, a dagger in the backs of the vulnerable she swore to protect. In the last days of this year's legislative session, New York state Senate Democrats forced through a despicable measure, in a 35-27 vote, empowering doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to the terminally ill. This isn't 'dignity' or 'choice,' but a death sentence cloaked in deception, telling our elderly, our disabled and our sick that their lives aren't worth fighting for. The bill now sits on Hochul's desk, and where is she? Hiding. Silent. Dodging with a spineless 'she'll review the legislation' statement from her team. All while families of all political and spiritual backgrounds, all across New York, weep at the thought of our state allowing companies to profit off death. Hochul's hypocrisy knows no bounds. New York ranks dead last in access to palliative care, a compassionate lifeline that eases suffering and restores dignity for the terminally ill. Palliative care envelops patients in holistic support to manage pain and address emotional and spiritual needs, and it helps families navigate the unthinkable. It's doctors and nurses sitting bedside, listening to fears and crafting plans that honor life. It's the hand squeezed during a sleepless night, the reassurance that no one faces the end alone. Yet in Hochul's New York, only a fraction of those who need palliative services can access them — leaving the suffering to beg for comfort while leftist Democrats under her watch push a culture of death and despair. This failure compounds a broader crisis caused by Kathy Hochul's worthless leadership. One in five New Yorkers battles mental illness yearly, and hundreds of thousands go untreated. Those who live with disabilities are crushed by a cruel bureaucratic maze, worsened by Hochul's heartless overhaul of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, which put the desires of politically connected contractors over the needs of suffering families and caregivers. Again and again, her policies destroy hope for those in need — and yet she stands mute and inept as her party peddles a bill that whispers 'Give up' to a depressed veteran, tells a grandmother with cancer 'You're a burden' and screams to a disabled New Yorker, 'Your life isn't worth saving.' It's anti-human, it's anti-American, and it's a betrayal of the values that bind us as New Yorkers. Hochul's silence here speaks volumes, and it isn't indecision but complicity, trading vulnerable lives for political points with her far-left Democrat base. New Yorkers are heartbroken and furious. Under Hochul's catastrophic reign, crime surges, costs crush families, corruption festers — and now the sanctity of life itself is under assault. People are fleeing to Florida and other states, driven out by the worst governor in America who fails them at every turn. Hochul has the power to veto this moral travesty. She could champion life by investing in palliative care that wraps the suffering in dignity and love. Instead, her silence screams surrender. I won't stay silent. My heart burns for the mother praying for one more day with her child, for the disabled New Yorker fighting for respect, for every soul this bill would discard. New York needs real leadership — robust palliative-care programs, accessible mental-health services and dignified support for the disabled — not a state-encouraged push toward the grave. In 2026, New Yorkers will reject this failed governor at the ballot box and restore principled leadership that cherishes every life. Kathy Hochul, the clock is ticking. Veto this bill or you'll be remembered as the governor who truly let hope die. New Yorkers are watching — and we won't forget. Republican Elise Stefanik represents New York's 21st District in Congress.
