LOADING ERROR LOADINGMore than 82 million Americans, or about one-third, make daily trade-offs in order to afford health care, according to a new study. AdvertisementThe Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits expired at the beginning of the year, forcing Americans enrolled in ACA health care plans to pay higher premiums. But even 25% of households that earn between $90,000 and $120,000 a year said they are making trade-offs to afford health care. Maese said that the “most striking” part of the study is that in order to afford health care, Americans are making decisions beyond health care spending. “In reality, health care affordability is not just about health care.”AdvertisementThe West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare has been studying health care affordability since 2021, and Maese said health care is a part of the “total affordability picture in America.”“This means that healthcare is affecting the economy, and society, in many indirect ways that are rarely captured by prevailing metrics,” Maese said.

Source: Huffington Post March 13, 2026 07:52 UTC