Millions of Americans reported skipping meals, reducing basic household expenses, or delaying major life decisions in order to pay for healthcare in 2025, according to new national surveys that highlight the growing financial strain created by medical costs in the United States.
Research conducted by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America found that roughly one-third of Americans made financial trade-offs in order to afford medical care. The findings are based on a survey of nearly 20,000 U.S. adults conducted between June and August 2025.
That proportion represents about 82 million people who said they had cut back on everyday expenses in order to pay healthcare bills.
The sacrifices reported in the survey illustrate how healthcare expenses are forcing many households to reduce spending on essential needs. Eleven percent of respondents, equivalent to about 28 million Americans, said they skipped meals or intentionally drove less in order to pay medical bills. Fifteen percent, representing nearly 40 million people, said they prolonged prescriptions or borrowed money to cover healthcare costs. Another 9 percent said they reduced spending on utilities.
The findings also showed that health insurance coverage does not necessarily shield households from financial pressure related to medical care.
Among Americans with insurance, 29 percent reported making at least one trade-off to afford healthcare expenses. Fourteen percent said they prolonged prescriptions rather than paying for a new one, and 9 percent reported skipping meals.
Researchers involved in the study said the results demonstrate that the financial burden of healthcare affects people across the economic spectrum. Ellyn Maese, a senior researcher at Gallup and research director for the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America, emphasized that the financial pressures extend well beyond traditionally vulnerable populations.
“No one is safe from making these trade-offs,” Maese told The New York Times.
The data indicates that uninsured Americans experience the most severe hardship. Sixty-two percent of people without healthcare coverage reported making trade-offs in order to afford medical costs.
Lower-income households also reported high levels of financial pressure. Fifty-five percent of respondents in households earning less than $24,000 annually said they had cut back on expenses to pay for healthcare. Among those earning between $24,000 and $48,000, 47 percent reported making similar financial sacrifices.
However, the survey also found that rising healthcare costs are affecting middle-income and higher-income households. About one-quarter of people in households earning between $90,000 and $120,000 said they had skipped meals or reduced other spending to pay medical bills. Eleven percent of respondents in households earning $240,000 or more said they had made similar trade-offs.
Individual stories described in the survey illustrate the personal impact of these rising costs.
Sheila Nesbit, a 65-year-old retiree living in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest, said she discovered that Medicare covered fewer services than the insurance plan she had through her former job.
When her doctor recommended orthopedic shoe inserts costing roughly $250 to help relieve pain while walking, Nesbit decided not to purchase them because the cost would not be covered.
She has also searched for discount programs to help pay for a $90 medication that Medicare does not cover. To reduce expenses, Nesbit said she sometimes skips lunch and occasionally does not take medications prescribed for cholesterol, asthma, and high blood pressure.
She also lowers the thermostat in her home and relies on sweaters and blankets in order to save money on heating costs.
“I never thought I’d be living like this,” said Nesbit.
Healthcare affordability challenges are occurring at the same time that households are facing rising costs for housing, food, utilities, and transportation. Tim Lash, president of West Health, said healthcare spending is rising in part because Americans are using more medical care.
“It’s not just that health care is expensive,” Lash said. “It’s that we use more and more health care as Americans.”
A separate survey conducted by the West Health-Gallup Center between October and December 2025 found that healthcare costs are also influencing long-term life decisions for many Americans.
Just over one-quarter of respondents said they delayed surgical or medical treatment due to healthcare costs. Nearly 30 percent said medical expenses caused them to avoid taking a vacation.
The survey also found that healthcare costs affected employment and education decisions. Eighteen percent of respondents said they delayed seeking a different job, while 15 percent postponed pursuing education or job training.
Housing decisions were also affected, with 14 percent saying they postponed buying a home because of healthcare costs.
Family planning decisions were also impacted. Six percent of respondents said they had postponed having or adopting a child because of healthcare expenses. That proportion represents roughly 16 million Americans.
Researchers said the results from both surveys reveal consistent patterns showing how healthcare costs are reshaping everyday life for many Americans.
“The polls are telling a consistent story here,” Maese said.
Policy changes affecting healthcare coverage may intensify the pressures documented in the surveys. Millions of Americans are expected to lose insurance coverage after Republican lawmakers approved more than $1 trillion in cuts to federal healthcare support and Congress allowed enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies to expire at the end of the previous year.
The Trump administration has also proposed new regulations for health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace that would allow deductibles as high as $15,000 for individuals and $31,000 for families in order to offset lower monthly premiums.
Researchers warned that coverage losses could increase the number of households forced to make financial sacrifices in order to afford medical care.
“If people are losing their insurance,” Maese said, “we’ll see more people facing even more of these tradeoffs.”
Public opinion surveys indicate that many Americans support broader changes to the healthcare system. A poll conducted by Data for Progress in November found that 65 percent of voters support expanding the Medicare system to cover all Americans, a proposal estimated to save about $650 billion annually.
Despite that level of public support, proposals to expand Medicare coverage have faced political opposition in Congress. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, who has sponsored Medicare for All legislation in the House of Representatives, criticized arguments that such a program would be too expensive.
“When we ask for Medicare for All it’s ‘too expensive,’ and we ‘don’t have the money,’” said Jayapal. “When the president drags us into his own personal war, no expense is spared. Our priorities are backwards.”
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