Image Credentials: Image Title: One in Three Americans Sacrifice Essentials to Afford Medical Care, Study Finds Source: (sora.openai) Date: March 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff
WASHINGTON — In a staggering indictment of the U.S. healthcare system, a new report released Thursday, March 12, 2026, reveals that 82 million Americans, roughly one-third of the adult population, are skipping meals, borrowing money, or cutting back on basic utilities to pay for medical expenses.
The findings, published by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America, highlight a worsening affordability crisis as citizens grapple with a “perfect storm” of rising insurance premiums, the expiration of federal subsidies, and a systemic shift toward higher out-of-pocket costs.
The “Cost Secure” Gap Widens
The Healthcare Affordability Index indicates that the percentage of Americans who can comfortably afford and access quality care has dropped to just 55%, a record low. While the crisis is most acute among those earning less than $24,000 annually, where 55% report making financial sacrifices, the strain is climbing the income ladder.
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Middle-Income Squeeze: 25% of households earning between $90,000 and $120,000 are now making trade-offs between medicine and daily necessities.
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The Six-Figure Struggle: Even among those earning $240,000 or more, 11% report having to adjust their lifestyles to accommodate healthcare bills.
“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,” said Tim Lash, President of West Health.
A Life Put on Hold
The financial burden isn’t just affecting daily expenses; it is reshaping the American dream. A secondary survey found that tens of millions of people are delaying major life milestones due to healthcare costs:
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Retirement: Nearly 1 in 10 adults (24 million people) have postponed retirement.
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Home Ownership: 14% have put off purchasing a new home.
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Medical Delay: 26% of respondents delayed necessary surgical or medical treatments, risking long-term health complications to avoid short-term debt.
Policy Cliff: The 2026 Insurance Spike
The report arrives at a critical juncture. At the start of 2026, enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies officially expired, causing average premium costs for 20 million subsidized enrollees to surge by 114%.
Furthermore, analysts at the Urban Institute project that the combined effect of expiring subsidies and recent federal cuts to Medicaid support could leave an additional 4.8 million Americans uninsured by the end of the year. For many, like retired Chicago librarian Sheila Nesbit, the reality is a cold house and skipped doses of essential blood pressure medication. “I never thought I’d be living like this,” she shared.