Cost of health care forcing Americans to put off treatments

The high cost of health care is causing Americans to postpone treatments. A new Gallup poll says those postponing treatments rose 12 points to 38%, the highest in the Gallup’s 22-year trend.

This change came amid the highest inflation rate in the U.S. in more than 40 years, which acerbated American difficulty in making ends meet. A majority of U.S. adults have said inflation is creating at least a moderate hardship for them. The public continues to view the state of the U.S. economy negatively, and Americans were more likely to name inflation as the most important problem facing the U.S. in 2022 than at any time since 1984.

The latest double-digit increase in delaying medical treatment came on the heels of two consecutive 26% readings during the COVID-19 pandemic that were the lowest since 2004. The previous high point in the trend was 33% in 2014 and 2019. An average 29% of U.S. adults reported putting off medical treatment because of cost between 2001 and 2021.