Some Americans Think Big Health Insurance Is Ripping Them Off, New Poll Shows
A plurality of Americans believe corporate health insurance companies are the primary driver of surging medical care costs, according to a Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare poll released Monday.
The newly released survey shows that 47% of voters say corporate health insurance companies are primarily to blame for soaring healthcare costs across the U.S., while 36% cited the federal government and 34% said drug companies. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they are worried about corporate health insurers denying or delaying doctor-ordered treatments. (RELATED: GOP Senators Urge Trump Admin To Probe Improper Healthcare Billing Practices)
“Voters clearly are deeply concerned about the role corporate health insurers play in increasing costs while delaying and denying care,” the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare said in a statement. “Americans overwhelmingly believe medical decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not insurance companies, and they support greater accountability for harmful insurer practices that increase costs, create unnecessary barriers to treatment, and interfere with timely access.”
Eighty-four percent of those surveyed think corporate health insurers currently hold too much power over medical decisions, while 70% say doctors should have the final say on treatment approvals and coverage instead of insurers. The poll also found that 72% of voters said they are more likely to back candidates committed to holding insurance companies accountable for improper claim denials.
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) health insurance company signage is displayed on an office building in Phoenix, Arizona on July 19, 2023. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
The poll’s release comes as many Americans have been grappling with rising healthcare affordability concerns over the past several years. The U.S.’ health expenditures reached $5.3 trillion—or $15,474 per individual—in 2024, accounting for 18.0% of the nation’s economy, according to the American Heart Association Journals.
The increasing market concentration among fewer insurance companies may be contributing to higher insurance costs nationwide, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Many Republicans are cautious about the prospect of getting involved with any major health policymaking before November’s midterm elections, Axios reported on May 7.
Morning Consult conducted this survey for the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare between May 22-24, among a sample of 2,002 adults. The survey’s results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
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