Healthcare System Concerns Heightened During COVID-19 Pandemic |

Healthcare system concerns heightened during COVID-19 Pandemic. Americans share how they feel about healthcare during COVID-19 in a new survey.

It’s no secret that the U.S. healthcare system is broken and the COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened Americans’ concerns about rising costs.

The majority (60 percent) of Americans rated the U.S. healthcare system as “poor” or “fair” during the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent survey by HealthInsurance.com. One-third of those surveyed said their opinion of the U.S. healthcare system changed for the worse due to COVID-19 and a similar cohort said they’re afraid of getting the virus because of healthcare costs.

Another survey by ValuePenguin took a closer look at what medical hardships looked like in the midst of the COVID-19 and how Americans have coped since the pandemic began.

Healthcare System Concerns Heightened During COVID-19 Pandemic

According to ValuePenguin, 60 percent of Americans put off doctors’ appointments (such as wellness visits, dental cleanings, major medical procedures and mental health appointments) during the pandemic to reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19.

What’s more concerning is that half of Americans were forced to go a day or longer without medication they needed during the pandemic. Just over 30 percent said it was because their medication was out of stock, 21 percent said it was due to mail delays and 9 percent said they couldn’t afford to pay for their medications.

Americans are so worried about healthcare costs that 32 percent of them didn’t seek medical care in the last 12 months, including everything from doctor visits and medications, to vaccinations, annual exams, vision-checks and more. Of those who did seek care, 1 in 4 resorted to taking on debt, borrowing from friends and family, getting a side job, selling belongings or declaring bankruptcy to cover the cost of healthcare.

It’s abundantly clear why healthcare reform is a “very important” issue for more than 50 percent of Americans in the upcoming presidential election. Americans want appointed government officials to take steps to lower the cost of healthcare and lower prescription prices.

When asked about fixing the broken healthcare system, 69 percent of those responding to the survey from HealthInsurance.com said the key to improving it is giving more control to patients and doctors.