Almost half of adults—47%—are worried they won’t be able to afford health care next year. That’s the largest share since 2021. Anxiety over prescription drugs has climbed, too, from 30% in 2021 to 37% now.

The daily strain is worsening. Fifteen percent of Americans say medical costs cause “a lot of stress” in their lives, nearly double the rate from three years ago. Three in 10 adults report that someone in their household skipped care because they couldn’t afford it. And the disparities are staggering: Only 18% of Massachusetts residents say a household member skipped treatment due to cost, compared with 46% in Mississippi.

Access problems go beyond money, though. Long waits for appointments are among the most common obstacles, delaying or preventing care for 53% of adults. In Vermont, that figure hits 72%, but even in Nebraska—the state with the best rating on this issue—it’s 46%.

These concerns are already shaping the congressional fight over whether to renew enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits. Only about half of U.S. adults—51%—believe basic health care is affordable and accessible, a 10-percentage-point drop since 2022. The decline is even sharper among Black (-13 points) and Hispanic Americans (-17 points).

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