Summary
A survey by West Health-Gallup found that about one-third of American adults have reduced their spending on things like food and utilities to pay for health care. This survey, conducted in 2025, highlighted the financial strain on U.S. households, especially those with lower incomes, due to rising health care costs.
Key Facts
- About one in three American adults are cutting back on expenses to afford health care.
- More than 80 million Americans have made trade-offs in their daily lives for health care costs.
- Common trade-offs include limiting prescriptions, skipping meals, and cutting back on utilities.
- The survey sampled 19,535 adults across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
- Financial struggles were most common in households earning less than $24,000 per year.
- Even higher-income households are also feeling the pressure; 25% of those earning $90,000 to $120,000 reported making trade-offs.
- 28 million Americans skipped meals, and 23 million cut back on utilities to manage health care expenses.
- Many Americans are delaying major life events like medical treatment, job changes, and buying homes due to financial concerns.
