Edith HejbergRoughly one-third of respondents said they had to reduce spending on at least one essential living cost to pay for health care.
Across the United States, millions of people are making painful tradeoffs just to afford medical care. Rising costs mean many households must sacrifice basic needs.
Food, utilities, and transportation are often the first things to go. For many families, paying medical bills now takes priority over everyday living expenses.
A new survey highlights how widespread this problem has become.
A growing affordability crisis
The findings come from a survey by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. Researchers gathered responses from nearly 20,000 adults across the country.
The results paint a troubling picture. Many Americans say health care costs are pushing their finances to the brink.
Even people who once felt financially stable are now struggling to keep up.
One-third of americans cutting basic spending
Roughly one-third of respondents said they had to reduce spending on at least one essential living cost to pay for health care.
That share represents more than 82 million Americans. The survey was conducted between June and August.
For many households, covering medical expenses means cutting back elsewhere.
Everyday sacrifices to afford medical bills
The survey revealed several common ways people cope with rising costs.
Some Americans skip meals or buy less food. Others reduce their utility use or drive less to save money.
Many people also borrow money to cover medical bills or prescriptions.
Why health care spending keeps rising
Health care costs are increasing for several reasons. One factor is the growing demand for medical care.
As the population ages and chronic conditions rise, people require more treatment.
“It’s not just that health care is expensive,” Lash said. “It’s that we use more and more health care as Americans.”
The personal toll on retirees
For many retirees, the transition to Medicare brings unexpected financial strain.
Coverage often differs from employer-based health insurance. Some treatments and medications may no longer be fully covered.
This can leave older Americans facing difficult decisions about their care.
One woman’s difficult choices
Sheila Nesbit, a 65-year-old retired librarian in Park Forest, Illinois, knows these choices firsthand.
Her doctor recommended orthopedic shoe inserts costing about $250 to help with pain while walking. Nesbit decided she could not afford them.
She is also searching for discount programs to cover a $90 medication that Medicare does not pay for.
Skipping meals and medicine
Nesbit has made several adjustments to manage her expenses.
Sometimes she skips lunch to save money. She also does not always take her medications for cholesterol, asthma, and high blood pressure.
“I never thought I’d be living like this,” said Nesbit, 65, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest.
Cutting back at home
Medical costs have also changed how Nesbit manages her household.
She lowers the thermostat to reduce heating bills. Instead of turning up the heat, she wears a sweater and sleeps under two blankets.
Small changes like these help stretch her limited budget.
Not just a problem for low-income americans
People without insurance and those with lower incomes often face the hardest choices.
But they are not the only ones feeling pressure. Middle-income households are also struggling to afford health care.
The issue now reaches far beyond the poorest Americans.
Middle-class households feel the strain
Researchers say even financially comfortable families are making sacrifices.
“Even middle-class and upper-middle-class Americans are still having to make decisions like cutting back on utilities, driving less, borrowing money to pay for health care,” Ellyn Maese, research director for the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare, told CNN.
The cost burden is spreading across income levels.
Medical costs delaying life decisions
Health care expenses are also affecting major life plans.
In another survey from the same research center, more than a quarter of respondents said they postponed surgical or medical treatment.
Others delayed buying a home or even postponed retirement because of health care costs.
The situation could worsen
Experts warn the problem may intensify in the coming years.
Millions of Americans could lose health insurance after lawmakers approved major reductions in federal health care support. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies also expired at the end of last year.
“If people are losing their insurance,” Maese said, “we’ll see more people facing even more of these tradeoffs.”
