The cost of health care keeps many away: Survey
- More than half of young adults avoid seeking health care
- Many compromise health care to stay financially afloat
- Few can cover a minimal health care bill without disrupting finances
(Getty Images)
Testing widget old system
(NewsNation) — Anxiety over health care costs cuts across all ages, but a new report says millennials and Generation Zers are feeling it especially hard.
The study commissioned by the insurance firm Assurance IQ finds that 67% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials report avoiding seeking health care because of the cost. That compares to 46% of all Americans who skipped seeking care last year.
Among the reasons people cited for avoiding a treatment, an exam or a consultation: They weren’t sure if they could afford it, weren’t sure if it would be covered by insurance and they didn’t want their insurance rates to rise.
Youth wasn’t the only factor when it came to avoiding health care. The study says that, for families earning under the $75,000 median household income, compromising on health care is a common strategy for staying financially afloat.
Of the survey respondents making less than $75,000, only 27% said they would be able to cover an unexpected medical expense of $250 or less without disrupting their regular finances. 25% percent said they wouldn’t be able to cover anything.
And the problems juggling health and money spans across all income levels. A study by the Federal Reserve last year found that a quarter of all Americans went without medical care in 2022 because of the expense.
