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Fewer than half of Americans say they can afford healthcare: Gallup

Close-up of examination table in doctor’s office (Grace Cary/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Fewer than 49% of Americans can afford healthcare, the lowest rate since tracking began in 2021, according to Gallup data released Thursday.

In a single year, roughly 2.8 million people no longer identified as being “Cost Secure” meaning they could no longer afford access to quality care or pay for visits and prescriptions, according to the data. Worry about future healthcare costs, including visits and prescriptions, amongst Americans is also at an all-time high of over 40%, according to Gallup.

Gallup developed what it calls the “Healthcare Affordability Index,” which is sponsored by West Health, in 2021 drawing on self‑reported experiences from nationally representative surveys. The latest data comes from a study conducted between October and December of 2025, according to Gallup and West Health.

Healthcare has become a financial burden across income levels, according to the new data. According to the index, one in three upper-middle income households ($120,00 to $180,000) are not cost secure, nor are one in five households earning above $180,000.  

Young adults, aged 18-29, have experienced the sharpest decline in ability to afford healthcare with those identifying as “cost secure” dropping 7 percentage points in a year.

Women continue to trail behind men when it comes to affording healthcare.

Between 2021 and 2024 the difference between men and women being able to afford care was 9% but in 2025 the gap widened to 15%, making it the largest gender gap in healthcare affordability on record.

Healthcare and inflation continue to rise with healthcare spending reaching $5.3 trillion in 2024. This, in part, is due to hospital prices increasing to 3.4% in 2024, the fastest rate increase since 2007, and insurance premiums going up by 20% after the expiration of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

With many Americans experiencing significant healthcare-related financial challenges, studies show that this can lead to significant consequences, including delaying or deferring care, leading to worse health overall.

Torie A. Livingston, MD, MPH, is a third-year pediatric resident physician at the University of Chicago and is a medical intern of the ABC News Medical Unit. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gossip blogger Perez Hilton appeared to harm himself on a livestream. His audience called the police

By CNN
(CNN) — Police responded Tuesday night to the Florida home of Perez Hilton after receiving reports the celebrity gossip blogger appeared to be harming himself on a TikTok livestream.In response to a question about Hilton’s livestream, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they had “received multiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.”“Deputies quickly located the individual’s residence, where they spoke with family members on scene, and confirmed he was alone inside,” the sheriff’s office said, adding they worked to de-escalate the situation.In the livestream, which was later taken down, Hilton appeared to be engaging in self-harm. Multiple social media users commented, urging him to stop.The sheriff’s office told CNN that the individual was “safely recovered” and transported to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.On Wednesday, a statement went up on Perez Hilton’s website confirming that Hilton was receiving medical care. “Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers,” the statement read. “We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being.” They went on to ask for privacy at the time.The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental health professionals provided support and resources to the individual’s family, the sheriff’s office said.“In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” the sheriff’s office said. “Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public.”Hilton rose to prominence after launching his gossip blog, as well as a fashion blog, a musical series, and has since become well known as a TV personality.The Cuban-American, legally known as Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr., made a name for himself by writing about celebrities. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from New York University, where he studied acting, before starting his blog in a coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard back in 2004.Earlier this year, Hilton said he’d suffered a medical scare that left him hospitalized for several weeks. He told his audience in May that he was besieged by hospital bills, despite being insured. In June, he shared that he had recently relocated to Miami from Las Vegas with his children.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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