Half of Working-Age Americans Skip Care Over Cost

Multiple 2026 surveys point to mounting difficulty affording health care: half of working-age adults said cost kept them from needed care, up from 46% in 2022, and about three in 10 are paying off medical debt. Nearly half of working-age adults had inadequate coverage, including people who were insured but faced high out-of-pocket costs; the uninsured rate also rose, especially among younger adults. Separate Gallup data found fewer than half of Americans were financially secure in accessing health care, with affordability problems affecting households across income levels. Broader affordability pressures are also weighing on families, with an Urban Institute analysis estimating that 49% cannot afford basic costs of living. In South Carolina, a poll found health costs are an important election issue for many voters and that about 65% support Medicaid expansion.