January 18, 2023 – According to a study published by Gallup, 38% of respondents said they have put off scheduled medical care payments because of the cost – a 12-point increase from the past two years.
Each year since 2001, Gallup has tracked Americans’ self-reports of delaying medical care in the past 12 months due to cost. The latest reading, from Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare poll conducted Nov. 9-Dec. 2, is the highest by five points and marks the sharpest year-over-year increase to date.
This change came amid the highest inflation rate in the U.S. in more than 40 years, which made 2022 a challenging year for many Americans. A majority of U.S. adults have said inflation is creating at least a moderate hardship for them (confirmed by another Gallup study).
Young adults, those in lower-income households and women were especially like to say they or a family member had put off medical care.