A comprehensive new study released Thursday reveals that approximately one-third of Americans have been forced to reduce spending on essential items like food and utilities in order to afford medical care, as healthcare expenses continue climbing alongside the general cost of living.
The extensive research, conducted by the West Health-Gallup Center between June and August 2025, surveyed nearly 20,000 adults across all 50 states and Washington D.C. The findings show that 33% of participants had to make at least one financial sacrifice in their daily spending to cover healthcare expenses.
The impact proves most severe for Americans without health insurance coverage, where 62% reported making financial compromises for medical care. Among uninsured respondents, 32% had to take out loans while 24% extended the use of current medications longer than recommended.
Even those with insurance coverage aren’t immune to these financial pressures, as nearly 30% of insured Americans have also made spending sacrifices, according to the survey results.
The situation has worsened in 2026 as most Americans with private insurance face increased premiums and higher out-of-pocket expenses, particularly affecting millions enrolled in government-subsidized Affordable Care Act plans where additional COVID-era financial assistance has ended.
Timothy Lash, president of West Health Policy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to healthcare and aging issues, expressed concern about the broader implications. “We’re actually finding that people are reporting higher incidences of metabolic disease or depression and anxiety. We’re not getting healthier as a society, we’re actually getting sicker, and the healthcare cost is going up on top of it,” Lash stated.
A separate study involving 5,660 American adults, conducted primarily through Gallup’s research panel from October through December of last year, examined how medical expenses are affecting major life decisions. The research found that Americans have postponed significant life events or changes over the past four years specifically because of healthcare costs, including purchasing homes or taking vacations.
The second survey, also released Thursday, found that nearly 9% of participants delayed their retirement plans due to medical expenses, while double that percentage reported putting off career changes for the same reason.
