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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is it true that 70% of Americans can't afford basic medical care?

By Esther Honig
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NO

Though a sizable number of Americans struggle to cover medical expenses, data does not support the claim that 70% of Americans can't afford the care they need.

According to a 2019 Gallup poll, 33% of respondents said they or a family member had delayed treatment for a medical condition in the past year because of cost. Since 2001, Gallup "has tracked a near 50% increase" in the percentage of Americans responding "yes" to this question. In 2016, another survey found that 26% of American adults said health care costs had caused serious financial problems for them or their family in the previous two years. More than 40% of respondents had spent "all or most of their savings on large medical bills," and one in five struggled to afford prescription drugs.

According to the Census Bureau, 8.5% of Americans had no health insurance in 2018.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Gallup: More Americans delaying medical treatment due to cost
Harvard: Poll—patients report problems with costs, quality and access to services
US Census: Health insurance coverage in the United States, 2018
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.