A recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund indicates that unaffordable health insurance premiums are considered the primary issue within the U.S. health care system by many Americans.
According to the survey, 42% of participants identify high health insurance premiums as the most significant problem that needs to be addressed, while 36% point to costs associated with medical care and prescription medications. Additionally, 15% of respondents highlighted challenges in obtaining medical or prescription drug approvals from their insurance providers, and 7% mentioned difficulties in finding a doctor or scheduling appointments.
Among U.S. adults aged 19 and older who indicated affordability as their key issue, half believe that the federal government is best suited to tackle the problem of rising insurance premiums. Conversely, about 40% feel the government is likely to assist people with high out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The poll reveals that a notable majority of Democrats (65%) think the federal government is capable of addressing health care costs, whereas 36% of Republicans share this view. Independent voters tend to lean toward the federal government (49%) over health insurance companies (28%).
The findings come at a time when many Americans are confronting a crisis of affordability in health care. HealthMarkets Insurance estimates that the average cost for benchmark health insurance plans this year is around $625.
Moreover, insurers in the Affordable Care Act market are expected to propose a median premium hike of 14% in 2027, according to a KFF analysis released earlier this year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson commented on the impact of the Affordable Care Act, criticizing it for what he views as negative consequences on the health care system over the past 15 years, stating, “Since its inception, premiums have soared, networks have shrunk, and systems have become bloated and inefficient, rife with waste, fraud, and abuse.”
The Commonwealth Fund’s national survey, executed in partnership with the SSRS Opinion Panel Mega Omnibus, spanned from May 4 to May 26 and included a sample of 25,873 U.S. adults. The focus was primarily on the responses of 25,858 individuals aged 19 and over.
The overall margin of sampling error for the full survey is plus or minus 0.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, with a survey completion rate of 55.1%.
