Most in US hold negative views of health care cost, equity: Gallup

More than half of Americans in a new Gallup poll said they have negative views of the cost and equity of health care in the United States.

Three-quarters of respondents in the West Health-Gallup poll released on Thursday gave the U.S. health care system failing grades for affordability. Americans rated the system’s affordability negatively no matter their income, with upward of 70 percent at every income level giving the system failing grades.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Americans rated the U.S. health care system negatively in terms of its provision of equitable care. The percentage was higher among women and Black and Asian American respondents, who were more likely to give the system a failing grade for equity.

U.S. health care did receive more positive reviews on access and quality, with 62 percent rating access to care positively or satisfactorily and 83 percent giving the quality of care higher grades.

Opinions on access to care break down along racial and ethnic lines, however, with Black and Hispanic Americans more often giving U.S. health care failing grades on access.

The vast majority of respondents in the poll agreed that there should be limits on health care costs. Regardless of political party, more than 70 percent of Americans said the federal government should place limits on costs.

More than 8 in 10 respondents — 84 percent — said the government should negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of drugs, and 80 percent said the government should place limits on what these companies can charge.

Democrats voiced stronger support than Republicans on the federal government’s involvement, but more than half of Republicans said they agreed that the government should be able to negotiate or place limits on various costs.

The poll was conducted on June 21 and 30 with 5,584 adults, and the margin of error was 1.6 percentage points.