Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs: Insights from KFF Polling
The high cost of healthcare continues to be a significant burden for many Americans, impacting decisions about insurance coverage, seeking medical care, and managing prescription medications. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a leading independent source for health policy research and polling, recently updated a comprehensive data brief highlighting Americans’ ongoing struggles with healthcare affordability. This brief, refreshed in April 2026 with the latest polling data, underscores the widespread financial challenges related to health expenses and their effects on health outcomes.
Nationwide Difficulty Affording Health Care
Nearly half of U.S. adults (44%) report that affording healthcare costs is either very or somewhat difficult. This financial strain is felt unevenly across different populations. Uninsured adults under the age of 65 are the most affected, with 82% indicating difficulty in affording care, compared to 42% of insured adults. Racial and ethnic disparities are also evident: 55% of Hispanic adults and 49% of Black adults find health care costs challenging, compared to 39% of White adults. Income plays a pivotal role—adults from households earning less than $40,000 annually are more likely to struggle with healthcare expenses than those with higher incomes.
Struggles with Paying Medical Bills
More than a quarter of U.S. adults (28%) say they or a family member had trouble paying for medical care in the past year. This increases to 41% among Hispanic adults and 40% among young adults aged 18 to 29. Among uninsured adults under 65, the problem is even more acute: 59% report difficulties paying for healthcare, which is nearly double the rate of insured adults facing similar issues (30%).
Postponing or Skipping Needed Care
Cost-related barriers lead a significant share of Americans to delay or forego necessary medical treatment. Approximately 36% of adults say they have skipped or postponed needed healthcare in the past 12 months due to cost concerns. Women are slightly more likely than men to report this behavior (38% vs. 32%). Older adults (65+), many of whom have Medicare coverage, are less likely to skip care due to costs compared to younger groups. Notably, 75% of uninsured adults under 65 report having missed needed care for financial reasons. Even many insured individuals are not immune; about 37% of those with health insurance report skipping care because of cost.
The health consequences of these delays are significant: 18% of adults say their health worsened after skipping or postponing care. Among uninsured adults under 65, 42% report health deterioration due to unmet medical needs, compared to 20% of insured adults. Younger adults under 65 are also more affected than seniors with Medicare (23% vs. 6%).
Moreover, research indicates that medical debt exacerbates this problem. Half of adults with existing medical or dental debt say that costs prevented them from obtaining doctor-recommended tests or treatments in the past year.
Prescription Drug Costs Impact Medication Adherence
The high prices of prescription medications pose additional challenges. Four in ten adults (43%) report not taking medication as prescribed due to cost, including:
- 31% who opted for over-the-counter drugs instead of prescribed medications,
- 27% who did not fill a prescription at all,
- 19% who cut pills in half or skipped doses to save money.
Lower-income adults, uninsured individuals, women, Black, and Hispanic populations are disproportionately more likely to take these cost-saving measures.
Health Care Debt Is Widespread and Unequal
In 2022, around 41% of adults reported carrying debt related to medical or dental bills. These debts are owed through multiple avenues such as credit cards, collection agencies, family or friends, banks, and other lenders. The burden of health care debt falls disproportionately on Black and Hispanic adults, women, parents, lower-income individuals, and the uninsured.
Concerns Extend to Insured Americans
Having health insurance does not fully shield Americans from healthcare costs. Nearly four in ten insured adults under 65 worry about affording their monthly health insurance premiums. Both those with employer-sponsored insurance and those with Marketplace coverage often rate their insurance as “fair” or “poor” concerning premiums and out-of-pocket costs like doctor visits.
Overall, healthcare costs are the top financial concern for Americans, surpassing worries about food, utilities, and other household expenses. Two-thirds of adults express some level of worry—32% are very worried, and 34% somewhat worried—about their ability to afford healthcare for themselves and their families.
Conclusion
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s extensive polling reveals persistent challenges Americans face in managing healthcare expenses. Despite varied insurance statuses and income levels, many adults encounter difficulties affording medical care and prescriptions, which leads to delayed or skipped care and worsened health outcomes. These findings highlight the urgent need for continued policy efforts to improve healthcare affordability and reduce the burden of medical costs on families across the nation.
Sources:
- KFF Health Tracking Poll, May 2025 & November 2025
- KFF Health Care Debt Survey, February-March 2022
- Kaiser Family Foundation Health Costs Topic Page and Recent Reports (April 16, 2026 update)