Growing Healthcare Cost Concerns in America: Impacts and Insights

Twannetta Weaver chose a high-deductible health plan through her employer to manage low premiums while saving for retirement. However, in 2025, an unforeseen back injury led to significant medical expenses, forcing her to pause her educational plans due to financial strain.

The recent West Health-Gallup Affordability Index reveals that only about half of U.S. adults managed their healthcare costs and maintained access to quality services last year. This underscores the rising anxiety over healthcare expenses, particularly noted at the close of 2025.

The survey, conducted from October to December 2025, highlights the persistent challenge of healthcare costs in America. This concern precedes major policy shifts such as reduced Medicaid funding and the discontinuation of certain Affordable Care Act subsidies, which will soon take effect.

Survey participants were divided into "cost secure" and other categories based on healthcare costs and access to services. The "cost secure" group, with manageable expenses, dropped from 56% in 2021 to 49% in 2025, reflecting increasing financial pressure.

Healthcare costs have become a significant economic burden, with three-quarters of respondents worried about their impact on personal finances. Looking to 2026, half of the adults surveyed expressed fear of being unable to afford needed healthcare services.

Inger Perez from Texas, with a family history of serious health conditions, voiced her concerns over high medical expenses and insurance limitations. The constrained provider network of her plan adds to her financial challenges.

The survey revealed that affordability and access to healthcare have worsened, particularly for young adults, seniors, and women. The "cost secure" status for young adults fell to around one-third from nearly half in 2021, while women reported even less security at 42%. Seniors covered by Medicare also saw a decline in "cost secure" status from 73% to 61%.

Many admitted to forgoing medications or treatments due to financial constraints, with 20% struggling with prescription costs and nearly 30% avoiding medical care altogether. Participants like Xavier Chapa from Arizona described how unexpected medical bills have strained household budgets, forcing cutbacks on lifestyle expenses.

The West Health-Gallup Center survey polled 5,660 U.S. adults using Gallup's probability-based panel, featuring a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points.