Americans have given the US healthcare system a record-low quality rating, while 70% of respondents in a national survey also believe that the healthcare system at large has major problems or is in a state of crisis, according to a recent Gallup poll of more than 1,000 adults. Sentiment is now at its lowest point since the polling organization began monitoring opinions on the topic in 2001. The percentage of those who say the quality of healthcare in the United States is excellent or good has steadily slipped for the past 4 years, now sliding to the record-low of just 44%. Another 38% say healthcare quality is fair, and 16% say it’s poor. Getting into additional specifics, survey analysis shows just 28% of Americans say coverage for healthcare services in the United States is excellent or good; sentiment regarding coverage for services previously hit bottom in 2005 at 15%. In open-ended survey questions, Americans offer a few areas for urgent attention: cost (23%) and access (14%) as well as addressing obesity (13%).
Four trillion ways to scrutinize it: A new federal update shows that the size of the US healthcare system has now grown to $4.9 trillion. That breaks down to $14,570 per person per year and 17.6% of the gross domestic product. Patients’ total out-of-pocket spending increased by 7.2% in 2023 to $505.7 billion, compared to 6.9 % growth in 2022. By comparison, spending in the US healthcare system is more than the entire economy of Germany ($4.7 trillion).