One-third of Americans skip meals or other needs to afford health care

"Roughly one-third of Americans are cutting back on daily spending to cover medical costs, and about half of middle-income households said they have delayed a major life event because of the same expenses, the polls found, as premiums rise and the federal government cuts Medicaid spending."

"Eleven percent of respondents said they had skipped a meal in the past year to meet health care costs, according to the first poll on Americans' daily spending. Fifteen percent said they had borrowed money or prolonged a current drug prescription. The trend was most pronounced among Americans who don't have health insurance, 62 percent of whom said they made at least one financial trade-off to pay for health care."

"The second Gallup poll found that nearly 1 in 10 Americans reported postponing retirement in the past four years due to health care costs, and 6 percent said they postponed having or adopting a child."

Gallup polls reveal that approximately one-third of Americans cut daily spending to cover medical expenses, while half of middle-income households delay major life events due to health care costs. Eleven percent skip meals to afford medical care, and fifteen percent borrow money or extend prescriptions. Uninsured Americans face the most severe impact, with sixty-two percent making financial trade-offs. Nearly one in ten Americans postpone retirement, and six percent delay having or adopting children. These trends reflect growing affordability challenges as premiums rise and Medicaid spending decreases, emerging as a significant political issue for midterm elections.

Read at The Washington Post