A record-high share of Americans say they’re laying aside medical treatment since the costs are only too high. A brand new Gallup survey shows that almost 4 in 10 Americans reported that they or a member of the family skipped care in 2022 due to the fee, the best percentage ever recorded within the 22-year-old annual survey.
What the research says
Since 2001, Gallup has asked Americans: “Inside the last 12 months, have you ever or a member of your loved ones postpone any kind of medical treatment due to the fee you would need to pay?”
- In 2022, 38% of Americans reported that, yes, they or a member of the family postpone treatment attributable to the worth tag — the best number on record at Gallup and, notably, a 12 percentage point increase from 2021.
- What’s more, of those that said they postpone treatment, 27% percent said the postponed treatment was for a “somewhat” or “very serious” condition — yet one more record high for Gallup’s survey.
While the trend is more prevalent amongst low-income earners (who make lower than $40,000), people of all income levels postponed treatment for “somewhat” or “very” serious conditions in 2022 at a much higher rate than recent years.
- 34% of low-income earners (lower than $40,000) delayed getting treatment last yr for a serious condition.
- 29% of individuals earning between $40,000 and $100,000 said they postpone treating their serious condition.
- 18% of Americans making over $100,000 said the identical.
It’s no wonder
In 2022, prices for nearly all the things from eggs to cars soared amid the nastiest bout of inflation the country has seen in 4 a long time. Record-high inflation squeezed budgets and compelled many Americans to give attention to necessities like food and shelter while forgoing other expenses. As Gallup’s research suggests, medical care was chief amongst them.
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