Americans are taking on debt, skipping treatments, and going without prescriptions because of healthcare costs, and a new national survey makes clear who they blame.
The poll, conducted by Morning Consult for the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, found that 21% of respondents said someone in their household has taken on debt to pay medical bills in the past two years. Another 7% borrowed money from family or friends to cover healthcare costs, and 15% said a family member went without insurance for a period because it was unaffordable.
The avoidance behaviors are just as notable. Thirty percent of households skipped or delayed a recommended treatment because of cost, 27% avoided filling a prescription, and 22% stayed away from urgent care or the emergency room over coverage concerns. Each of those deferred decisions represents care that was not delivered, revenue that was not generated, and in many cases, a future bill that will be harder to pay.
When asked who is most responsible for rising costs, 47% of voters pointed to corporate health insurance companies, ahead of the federal government at 36% and drug companies at 34%. Hospitals drew blame from just 20% of respondents, and doctors from only 10%. Providers also fared far better on trust and favorability, with 79% viewing hospitals favorably and doctors and nurses scoring even higher, while insurers sat underwater at 45% favorable.
Claim denials and prior authorization emerged as flashpoints. A quarter of respondents said they personally had a claim denied for a doctor-recommended treatment, and 39% waited on prior authorization before receiving care. Nearly eight in ten expressed concern about insurers denying or delaying doctor-ordered treatments, and 70% said the patient’s doctor, not the insurance company, should have the final say on coverage.
The political signal is hard to miss. Roughly seven in ten voters said they would be more likely to support congressional candidates who back faster prior authorization turnaround, premium transparency, or accountability for executives whose companies wrongfully deny claims. Only 7% named reducing medical debt as their top reform priority for Congress, well behind protecting Medicare and Medicaid, suggesting debt relief itself has less political traction than the insurer practices that create the debt in the first place.
