(NewsNation) — The percentage of Americans struggling to afford healthcare has grown since 2022, according to the West Health-Gallup affordability index.
There has been a 6% decrease in Americans who are imminently able to afford and access quality healthcare on the 2022 index by West Health and Gallup.
In the same category, those in the 18-49 age bracket dropped 5%, 50- to 64-year-olds decreased 5% and those 65+ had lessened by 8%.
Ready access to adequate healthcare was termed as “cost-secure” by the index; meaning people who had no recent incidences of household members being unable to afford care, medicine, or treatment if it were needed today.
The survey was conducted via mail and internet methodologies across all 50 states – as well as the District of Columbia – with 5,149 adults aged 18 and over.
What’s more, Black and Hispanic people became more “cost desperate,” meaning they are unable to access affordable, medicine, both recently and at present.
Cost desperate Black adults grew from seven to 11 percent since 2022, while Hispanics rose from 11 to 14%.