WASHINGTON, United States: One in three Americans said they made some sacrifice last year -- like skipping a meal or rationing medicine -- to cover health care costs, according to a survey released on Thursday.
High health care costs, especially compared to peer nations, represent a significant portion of many Americans´ strained budgets, prompting some to choose to drive less to save on gas, cut back on electricity and borrow money to make ends meet.
Gathered from responses by 20,000 participants last year, the West Health-Gallup Center survey estimates more than 82 million Americans resorted to at least one sacrifice to pay medical bills.
The most vulnerable and uninsured were most likely to cut corners, but 11 percent of well-off households also reported making trade-offs.
“When families across every income level are forced to choose between medical bills and paying their heating or electric bill, that´s not a personal budgeting problem -- it´s a systems failure,” said Tim Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center, in a statement.
