Washington: Americans are increasingly worried about rising health care costs as 2026 draws near, reaching levels not seen in recent years, according to a new report on Tuesday. A West Health-Gallup survey showed that nearly half of US adults, 47%, are concerned they may not be able to afford health care next year, the highest level since tracking began in 2021.

According to Anadolu Agency, the survey found that worries over prescription drug costs have risen steadily, from 30% in 2021 to 37% in 2025, the highest on record, while the share of adults reporting that health care expenses cause 'a lot of stress' in daily life has nearly doubled since 2022, rising from 8% to 15%. It also revealed that roughly one in three adults reported delaying or forgoing medical care in the past year due to cost concerns.

Iowa, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Rhode Island topped the rankings for overall health care experiences, especially in affordability and access, while Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Alaska ranked lowest. Despite these top rankings, residents in these states generally rated their systems as 'satisfactory' (C) or 'poor' (D), highlighting that despite best practices, all states have substantial room to improve health care quality, access, and affordability.

The recent federal government shutdown underscores the urgent human and financial impact of health care policy, as Americans face record concerns over affordability, rising medical debt, and the need for state-level solutions amid federal instability. During the shutdown, which ended last week, Democrats initially refused to vote to reopen the government unless Republicans agreed to restore health care subsidies to make insurance affordable for millions of Americans. Eventually, a small splinter group of Democrats voted to reopen the government, relying on a verbal commitment from Republican leaders to bring the subsidies to a vote. Other Democrats warned of potential broken promises or a vote down of the subsidies by Republicans.

The US remains the only industrialized nation without universal health insurance, emphasizing the critical need for ongoing health care reforms.