A record-breaking number of Americans now view their nation's healthcare system as being in a dire state, with the soaring cost of treatment emerging as the single most urgent problem. According to a major new survey, 29% of Americans identify 'cost' as the most pressing health issue facing the country today.
Poll Reveals System in 'State of Crisis'
The latest poll from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America paints a stark picture of public disillusionment. It found that a record 23% of Americans believe the US healthcare system is 'in a state of crisis', with a further 47% stating it has 'major problems'. Experts directly link the perception of a systemic crisis to the overwhelming concern over affordability.
Emma Wager, a senior policy analyst at the health policy organisation KFF, explained that the findings are logical. "Healthcare is something that people can't choose how much they're going to buy, or how much they can really price-shop in most circumstances," she said. "It's an expense that is unpredictable and that we all face." Wager points to an ageing population and economic volatility as key drivers, noting that most healthcare spending is on those aged 55 and older.
The High Cost of Skipping Care
The financial burden is having a direct and dangerous impact on health outcomes. Timothy Lash, President of West Health, emphasised that rising costs are not an abstract issue but "a direct hit to the wallets of Americans and to their health." This stress can itself lead to conditions like high blood pressure, creating a vicious cycle.
A landmark Gallup survey published in November highlighted the stark reality: many Americans are now forgoing essential treatments. Nationally, 30% of adults said a family member had skipped a medical treatment due to high costs. The problem is geographically uneven, with nearly half of respondents in Mississippi reporting a family member skipped unaffordable care, compared to far lower rates in states like Iowa. Lash warned policymakers that even in the best-performing states, one in five people face this dilemma.
The Mental Health 'Feedback Loop'
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health has become a greater public concern, and it is intrinsically linked to the cost crisis. David Radley, a senior scientist at the Commonwealth Fund, describes a damaging "feedback loop". Adults experiencing frequent mentally unhealthy days are more likely to be unable to afford a doctor, while those most in need of mental healthcare often struggle to pay for it.
Radley notes that mental health services are often a "carve-out" in insurance plans, lacking standard co-pays and forcing patients to pay upfront and seek uncertain reimbursement. "Mental health care services don't get that same kind of treatment" as mandated preventive physical care, he stated.
Dr Lisa Rosenthal, a psychiatry professor at Northwestern University, argues that segregating mental and physical health is a false and costly dichotomy. "The pandemic was actually a great example of this. There's a direct impact of Covid on the brain," she said, advocating for the brain to be treated as "just another part of the body." She is involved in an initiative to integrate mental health screening into primary care, believing overall costs would fall with a more holistic approach.
The poll results and expert analysis underscore a system under severe strain, where the high price of care is not just a financial concern but a profound barrier to the nation's health and wellbeing.
