• Posted June 22, 2026

Rising Healthcare Costs Leave Many Americans Less Secure

A growing number of Americans are finding themselves priced out of the healthcare system.

Only 49% of U.S. adults report being “cost secure,” meaning they can pay for the medical visits and treatments they need. That leaves half of Americans under stress to pay for medical bills. 

The finding is based on the latest survey research from the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index.

The problem of skyrocketing healthcare costs has gotten worse over time. This year’s figure marks the lowest level of affordability recorded since the Gallup survey launched in 2021.

Over the past year alone, an estimated 2.8 million people have fallen out of the cost-secure category. They come from vulnerable populations and middle-class households alike.

The data also reveal deep disparities across the country. 

Racial gaps have widened dramatically since 2021, with only 38% of Black adults and 32% of Hispanic adults now feeling secure in their ability to pay for care, compared to 55% of white adults.

A record-high gender gap has emerged too, as 57% of men report being cost secure compared to 42% of women.

Age is no longer a shield against financial pressures from the U.S. healthcare system.

Adults 65 and older, who are typically covered by Medicare, saw their cost security drop from 73% in 2021 to 61% today, according to the report. By age, that was among the steepest declines.

Meanwhile, 18- to 29-year-olds experienced the sharpest decline of any age group, with their cost security dropping 17 percentage points over the last five years.

Even higher-income households are feeling the squeeze, with nearly 1 in 3 adults with incomes between $120,000 and $179,000 reporting that they are not cost secure when it comes to healthcare.

Experts warn that the current trajectory is unsustainable. 

"The fact that fewer than half of Americans can reliably afford healthcare should alarm every person, policymaker and healthcare leader in the country," said Tim Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center. He added that the situation is likely to deteriorate further without significant reforms to drug pricing and insurance premiums.

Joe Daly, managing partner at Gallup, noted that these trends suggest a systemic problem rather than a temporary economic dip. 

"Since 2021, the share of Americans who say healthcare is affordable has declined steadily, suggesting this is part of a longer-term pattern rather than a one-time drop since last year," he said.

Results are based on a survey completed by a representative sampling of 5,660 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are members of the Gallup Panel. The survey, conducted Oct. 27 to Dec. 22, 2025, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

More information

Visit the USA.gov for more how to get help with medical bills.

SOURCE: West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index, June 2026