The rising cost of health care is compounding the struggles many Americans are facing in affording necessities, including food and housing.
New data from the KFF Health Tracking Poll found that nearly 3 in 10 adults reported problems paying for health care, up from about 1 in 4 earlier this year, while roughly 1 in 4 struggled to afford prescription drugs. Food insecurity remains high, with more than one-third of adults reporting household difficulties paying for food in the past year, and about three in ten saying they had trouble covering rent or mortgage payments.
Affording health care is rarely an isolated challenge. Many people who struggle with health care costs also face problems paying for food, housing, and prescription drugs. Among the uninsured, for example, those reporting difficulty affording health care frequently also say they had trouble paying for food and rent or mortgage in the past year.
These challenges are particularly pronounced among younger adults, as well as LGBT and Hispanic populations. While Americans with lower incomes face the greatest difficulties affording health care, higher-income individuals are not immune. One in five Americans earning more than $90,000 a year reported struggling to pay for health care or prescription drugs over the past year.
Health coverage type affects financial strain. Adults with employer-sponsored insurance tend to face fewer challenges than those who are uninsured, on Medicaid, or purchasing coverage on their own. Roughly 7 in 10 adults under 65 who are uninsured or on Medicaid say it has been harder for them and their families to earn a living since January. A similar share of those purchasing their own coverage — often self-employed or working for small businesses — report difficulty, compared with about half of adults with employer coverage and just 1 in 4 adults over 65 with Medicare.
Among the uninsured, nearly 6 in 10 report problems paying for health care in the past year, along with more than 4 in 10 of those purchasing their own coverage. Large shares of both groups also report struggles affording food, housing, and prescription drugs.
Medicaid provides some protection from health care costs, but financial strain remains. About 6 in 10 adults ages 18–64 on Medicaid report difficulty paying for food or housing, and roughly three in ten still report problems affording health care or prescription drugs in the past year.
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