Products are selected by our editors, we may earn commission from links on this page.
Having health insurance was supposed to mean affordable care. For 92% of insured U.S. adults, it hasn’t worked out that way.
A new survey of 1,507 Americans by financial firm JG Wentworth found the overwhelming majority have delayed or skipped medical treatment simply because they were afraid of what it would cost, even with a plan supposedly covering them.
Nearly 97% Had Insurance. It Didn’t Stop the Fear
Almost every person JG Wentworth surveyed, 97%, carried some form of health insurance. Yet 94.7% of them said they still worry about affording a hospital bill. The gap between having coverage and feeling protected has widened so much that researchers described it as a defining feature of American healthcare in 2026, not a fringe complaint.
Gen Z Is Getting Hit the Hardest
Age matters enormously here. Among adults 18 to 28, 94.2% said they’d postponed care over cost, the highest rate of any group. Adults 29 to 44 weren’t far behind at 93.7%. Even those 45 to 60, typically assumed to have more financial stability, still delayed care at a rate of 75.9%, according to JG Wentworth’s findings.
Women Are More Likely Than Men to Put Off Treatment
Gender shapes the decision too. JG Wentworth found women consistently more likely than men to delay or skip medical visits over cost concerns. Researchers pointed to a combination of factors, including income gaps and the cost of reproductive and preventive care, as reasons the burden doesn’t fall evenly across the population.
A $4,354 Bill Would Break Most Household Budgets
The survey asked respondents to name their breaking point, the dollar amount that would seriously damage their finances. The average answer was $4,354. Seven in 10 Americans said even a bill under $10,000 would hurt their ability to cover basic expenses, a threshold far below the cost of many routine hospital stays.
A Doctor’s Visit Now Averages $171 Without Coverage
For the uninsured, the price of simply walking into an office has climbed. A February 2026 Zocdoc analysis put the average cost of a primary care visit at $171 across major U.S. cities, with prices ranging as high as $300 before labs, imaging, or follow-ups are added to the bill.
$220 Billion in Medical Debt Is Already on the Books
The consequences show up in the numbers. Roughly 85% of JG Wentworth’s respondents said they already carry medical debt, and collectively Americans owe $220 billion in unpaid medical bills, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization. Most of that debt falls between $1,000 and $10,000 per household.
Nearly 1 in 5 Adults Say Skipping Care Made Them Sicker
Delaying treatment isn’t a neutral decision. A KFF survey found nearly 20% of adults said their health worsened because they put off a doctor’s visit, and the number climbs to 42% among adults 64 and younger, the group least likely to qualify for Medicare’s cost protections.
Even Prescriptions Are Getting Cut in Half
The cost crunch extends to the pharmacy counter. KFF research found 31% of adults have switched to over-the-counter alternatives instead of filling a prescription, while 19% admitted to skipping doses or cutting pills to stretch their medication further, a workaround doctors warn can backfire on chronic conditions.
Costs Are Projected to Climb Through 2027
Relief isn’t on the immediate horizon. A PwC analysis projects commercial healthcare cost trends will rise to 9% in 2027, the highest in nearly two decades. For the 92% of insured Americans already rationing care, that trajectory means the calculation between health and cost isn’t getting any easier.