Overview
- The West Health–Gallup Affordability Index found about 49% of U.S. adults were “cost secure,” the lowest level since the measure began in 2021.
- The survey, conducted Oct. 27–Dec. 22, 2025, polled 5,660 adults and has a margin of sampling error of ±2.1 percentage points.
- Younger adults, women and some older Americans saw the largest drops in being cost secure, widening existing gaps in who can get and pay for care.
- Roughly 2 in 10 people recently could not pay for prescribed medicine and about 3 in 10 delayed or skipped treatment because of cost, forcing many to cut other household spending.
- Analysts link the trend to rising health spending, faster hospital price growth and higher premiums after ACA subsidy changes, and they warn congressional moves on Medicaid and subsidies could make affordability worse and strain Medicare finances.