2021年美国医疗保健报告（英）-34页_5mb

2021 Healthcare in America Report Summary

Core Content

The 2021 Healthcare in America Report by West Health and Gallup highlights the growing concerns of Americans regarding the affordability, quality, and access to healthcare, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is based on a nationally representative sample of over 6,600 U.S. adults and reveals a deepening healthcare cost crisis and rising public dissatisfaction with the system.

Main Points

• Growing Worry About Costs and Inequities: Americans are increasingly burdened by and worried about healthcare costs, with 48% reporting their view of the healthcare system has worsened due to the pandemic. 60% are more concerned about unequal access to quality healthcare, and this concern is even higher among Black Americans (75%) and Hispanic Americans (67%).

• Rising Financial Burden: Nearly 23% of U.S. adults (58 million people) report that healthcare costs are a major financial burden for their family. The burden is most acute for younger Americans (under 50) and those with annual incomes below $48,000.

• Cost of Prescription Drugs: 94% of Americans believe the cost of prescription drugs is higher than it should be, and 84% expect drug costs to increase over the next 12 months. 30% now report being concerned or extremely concerned about being unable to pay for prescription drugs, with the concern rising to 49% for those in households earning less than $48,000.

• Avoidance of Care Due to Cost: 30% of Americans skipped care in the prior three months due to cost, a tripled increase from March. This rate is also rising among higher income households, with 20% now skipping care, up from 3% in March.

• Impact on Health and Wellbeing: 21% of Americans report their health problems worsened after postponing care, and 12.7 million people have had a loved one die due to lack of affordable care. Black Americans are twice as likely as White Americans to know someone who died because of cost-related care avoidance.

• Racial Disparities: There is a significant racial disparity in the consequences of skipping care, with Black Americans (8%) more likely than White Americans (4%) to know someone who died due to inability to pay.

• Cost vs. Value: 93% of Americans believe they are paying too much for the quality of care they receive. 52% think their most recent healthcare experience was not worth the cost, with younger Americans being twice as likely as those over 65 to feel this way.

• Public Pessimism: 66% of Americans believe voters have very little to no power in reducing healthcare costs, while 90% think Congress and American businesses have the most influence. 71% of Americans are pessimistic about the federal government enacting meaningful healthcare cost reforms in the coming year.

• Election Influence: The cost of healthcare is shaping election choices, with reducing costs being a priority for many voters. However, public pessimism about policy change remains high.

• Stress and Anxiety: More than half of Americans report that healthcare costs contribute some or a lot of stress to their daily lives. This stress is most pronounced among lower-income households, with 60% of those earning less than $24,000 reporting a lot of stress.

• Public Perception of the System: Americans describe the healthcare system as "expensive" (38%), "broken" (13%), "unfair" (5%), "overpriced" (4%), and "complicated" (4%). This is a sharp contrast to 2019, when 48% of Americans believed the U.S. healthcare system was among the best in the world.

• Medication Insecurity: The rate of Americans going without prescribed medications has doubled, from 6% in March to 14% in October. 23% of households earning below $48,000 have skipped prescribed medication due to cost.

• Economic Impact: 28 million Americans have had to borrow money in the past year to cover healthcare costs. Spending on other areas like clothing, food, and utilities has also been cut back to pay for healthcare, especially among lower-income households.

Key Information

• Healthcare Cost Crisis: The financial burden of healthcare has deepened, with nearly 100 million U.S. adults characterizing the system as "expensive" and "broken".

• Cost-Related Care Avoidance: This has increased significantly, especially among lower-income groups and those with multiple prescriptions.

• Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes: Black Americans are more likely to experience the deadly consequences of skipping care due to cost.

• Public Powerlessness: Most Americans feel powerless to influence healthcare cost reduction, but Congress and businesses are seen as having the most power.

• Political and Social Impact: The cost of healthcare is shaping political views and election choices, with cost reduction being a key priority.

Implications

The report underscores the deepening crisis in the U.S. healthcare system, where rising costs, inequities in access, and public dissatisfaction are increasingly influencing personal behaviors, economic decisions, and political attitudes. The impact of the pandemic has not only worsened these issues but has also highlighted the systemic flaws in how healthcare is structured and delivered in the U.S.