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By Jasmine Laws
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About one in three American adults have cut back on certain expenses to pay for their health care, according to a West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America survey.
The survey, released on March 12, found that more than 80 million Americans have had to make at least one daily life trade-off in the last year to cover the cost of health care. The most common trade-offs were prescription rationing or non-adherence, meaning prescribed medical advice is not followed, and borrowing money.
Both of these actions were taken by 15 percent of survey participants. Other trade-offs involved cutting back on meals and utilities.
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Why It Matters
The findings come along with a series of other reports that have emphasized the wide-reaching impact of America's affordability issues.
Rising health care costs have also been of growing concern over the past year, with health experts warning of the impact certain policy changes regarding Obamacare and Medicaid could have on the population's health and finances.
It also comes as food and utility costs have been increasing, with grocery costs forecast to continue going up this year.
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What To Know
The survey, conducted between June 9 and August 25, 2025, sampled 19,535 adults ages 18 and older residing in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It found that the financial strain, unsurprisingly, was most prevalent among households earning less than $24,000 a year, and those without health insurance.
But it was not only lower-income households that reported financial struggle. The survey found that one-quarter of U.S. adults in households earning $90,000 to $120,000 a year said they were also having to make trade-offs, as were 11 percent of households earning $240,000 or more.
Along with prolonging current prescriptions and borrowing money, another common trade-off was skipping a meal. Eleven percent of survey participants, equivalent to 28 million Americans, reported skipping a meal to afford health care. The same proportion of Americans also reported driving less to save money for their health care, while 9 percent of participants (about 23 million Americans) reported cutting back on utilities.
A previous West Health and Gallup survey found that nearly half of U.S. adults said they were worried they would not be able to afford necessary health care in 2026, the highest level of concern recorded since West Health and Gallup began tracking in 2021.
Not only is the affordability of health care causing Americans to cut back on daily expenses. Many Americans are delaying major life events.
A separate West Health-Gallup survey, with a sample size of just under 6,000 U.S. adults conducted at the end of 2025, found that 26 percent of participants were delaying surgical and medical treatment because of financial concerns, while 18 percent were delaying changing jobs.
Fourteen percent were delaying buying a new home as well, while 9 percent said they postponed their retirement and 6 percent said they have put off having or adopting a child. The survey also found that 78 percent of Americans have postponed at least one life decision in recent years.
What People Are Saying
Tim Lash, president of West Health Policy Center: "When families across every income level are forced to choose between medical bills and paying their heating or electric bill—that’s not a personal budgeting problem—it’s a systems failure. That’s why West Health is partnering with policymakers and health system leaders to advance practical, scalable reforms that address the root causes of unaffordable care, not just the symptoms."
Joe Daly, Global Managing Partner at Gallup: "What stands out in these findings is the relationship between healthcare affordability and long-term life planning. The data offer measurable insight into how Americans are experiencing cost pressures within the healthcare system and how those experiences are influencing their broader financial decisions."
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