America's Diminishing Satisfaction on U.S. Healthcare Quality

For the first time in two decades, less than half of Americans are satisfied with the U.S. healthcare quality, according to a new Gallup poll.

According to the poll, released on January 19, around 48 percent of Americans think healthcare is either “excellent” or “good,” while 31 percent say it’s “only fair.” The remaining 21 percent of the population says the system is “poor.”

Compared to 2021, the excellent and good percentages only dropped by two percent. In the early 2010s, the percentage was as high as 62 percent.

The study was conducted in 2022 from November 9 through December 2. Positive ratings from Republicans have decreased when President Donald Trump left office, being one major reason why views of the quality of healthcare in the United States have been diminishing recently.

As of now, 56 percent of Republicans consider the quality of healthcare to be excellent or good, compared to 69 percent in 2020 and 75 percent in 2019.

Why did the numbers change?

After the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014, Republicans' perceptions of the quality of healthcare also went down, but they came back with Trump's win.

In the meantime, Democrats' approval ratings have remained constant, at a lower level, at 44 percent at this point.

Furthermore, public satisfaction with healthcare has decreased among middle-aged and younger adults since 2012, whereas it has stayed high among people 55 and older.

It is unclear whether the perceived changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act, rising healthcare costs for those who are not on Medicaid, or something else is the source of this change, which is seen across party lines.

Changes in healthcare policies brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic or restrictions on abortion access following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision could account for the most recent declines among young adults.

Despite being higher than the U.S. rating, 72 percent of Americans rate the quality of their own healthcare as excellent or good, which is also at a decline. The numbers dropped six points to 76 percent in 2021 and another four points in 2022, resulting in this low result that has been in the works for two years.

In comparison to the primary decline, which was roughly even across all age groups, the drop in 2022 is confined to adults aged 18 to 34. Compared to 72 percent of those between the ages of 35 and 54, and 85 percent in those 55 and older, only 53 percent of this younger age group is currently satisfied with the healthcare quality.

Higher satisfaction with insurance coverage

The poll questioned Americans about their own and national healthcare coverage. The disparity in ratings were even greater: while 66 percent of Americans rate their own coverage as excellent or good, only 32 percent of Americans consider healthcare coverage nationwide to be excellent or good.

However, in contrast to healthcare quality, these are not historically the most unfavorable ratings for healthcare coverage. The national rating of 32 percent is approximately the same from 2001 to 2021, at 29 percent.

And despite the fact that the percentage of Americans who are satisfied with their individual insurance is down five percent from 2021, the number was as low as 63 percent in 2005.

In America, healthcare insurance prices can skyrocket. If you have the flu and want to visit your doctor, it may cost a couple of hundred dollars.

A quick visit to the ER can cause thousands, and the absurd amount can accumulate to your name. It is important to understand how healthcare insurance works and see how you can minimize the costs.