By Sarah Owermohle
August 5, 2022
Nearly 40 percent of American adults say they recently skipped or delayed healthcare treatments because of high costs, according to a poll by West Health and Gallup.
Women are disproportionately cutting back compared with men, especially younger women. Thirty percent of women — and 36 percent of women under 50 — reported doing so compared with 22 percent of men.
Economic disparities are worsening the divide. People cutting back on utilities, food, driving and other expenses were also far more likely to report delaying healthcare services. Women and Black adults were also more likely to say they’re concerned about healthcare costs than other respondents.
More than four in 10 Republicans said they were concerned or “extremely concerned” about costs compared with 33 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of independents. But across party lines, respondents said they have little confidence in their elected representatives to solve the problems.