A record 23% of Americans believe the US healthcare system is “in a state of crisis”, while 47% think it has “major problems”, according to a new poll by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. The survey also revealed that 29% of Americans view cost as the most urgent health problem facing the country.
Experts note that perceptions of crisis and cost are linked. Emma Wager, a senior policy analyst at KFF, said the findings make sense because healthcare is an unpredictable expense that people cannot easily shop around for. She attributed the trend to an ageing population and volatile inflation.
Timothy Lash, president of West Health, emphasised that rising healthcare costs directly harm health by adding stress and causing people to skip treatments. A separate Gallup survey found that nationally one in five adults had a household member unable to afford a prescription, but rates varied widely by state—three times higher in Mississippi than in Iowa.
Mental health has also become a greater concern since the Covid-19 pandemic. David Radley of the Commonwealth Fund described a “feedback loop” where poor mental health makes it harder to afford care, and lack of access worsens mental health outcomes. The 2025 State of Mental Health in America survey found that adults with frequent mental distress were more likely to be unable to afford a doctor’s visit.
