You have nothing without your health, the saying goes, and some Americans are taking that to heart by slashing basic spending to afford medical care.
A report released Thursday estimated a third of U.S. adults recently pulled back on necessities like food, gas and utilities to keep up with health care costs.
More than 20,000 people answered a national survey by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America, a partnership between nonprofits West Health and Gallup. The poll ran from June to August and asked about the last year.
Apply the results to all U.S. adults, and some 82 million people made tough trade-offs for their health.
“These findings underscore that health care affordability is not just a health issue: It is a significant economic and societal challenge that affects nearly every aspect of life,” the center said.
Health care costs are front of mind for many Americans due to the expiration of some Affordable Care Act subsidies in December and Medicaid work requirements going into effect next year. This combination of cuts is expected to leave millions without affordable insurance.
Workers with employer-sponsored coverage are facing headwinds of their own as the average annual cost of family health benefits jumped 26% between 2020 and 2025 to nearly $27,000, according to health policy nonprofit KFF.
Within the West Health-Gallup poll, 15% of people stretched their prescription medications to avoid costly refills, which may shrink costs in the short-term but lead to even more expensive health problems down the line. As many respondents borrowed money to pay for health care.
People without insurance were most likely to be making trade-offs. Lower incomes and worse health were also connected to budgetary challenges.
Another poll of almost 6,000 U.S. adults the center conducted between October and December showed nearly 10% — or 24 million — delayed major life events because of health care costs in the last four years. These events include retiring, buying a home and having kids.