Rating of Healthcare Quality Declines
Americans' rating of U.S. healthcare coverage is below average;
most say the system has major problems
by Megan Brenan
Americans' positive rating of the quality of healthcare in the U.S. is now at its lowest point in Gallup’s trend dating back to 2001.
The current 44% of U.S. adults who say the quality of healthcare is excellent (11%) or good (33%) is down by a total of 10 percentage points since 2020 after steadily eroding each year. Between 2001 and 2020, majorities ranging from 52% to 62% rated U.S. healthcare quality positively; now, 54% say it is only fair (38%) or poor (16%).
As has been the case throughout the 24-year trend, Americans rate healthcare coverage in the U.S. even more negatively than they rate quality. Just 28% say coverage is excellent or good, four points lower than the average since 2001 and well below the 41% high point in 2012.
In addition to registering subpar ratings of the quality and coverage of healthcare in the U.S., few Americans -- 19% -- say they are satisfied with its cost. This reading is unchanged from last year and toward the low end for the measure, which has averaged 22% since 2001. The high point in satisfaction was 30% in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This spike was largely due to an increase in satisfaction among Republicans.
An open-ended question measuring Americans’ views of the most urgent health problem facing the country finds that two issues related to the healthcare system -- cost (23%) and access (14%) -- and one specific health condition -- obesity (13%) -- are mentioned most often. Another 6% each name drug or alcohol abuse and abortion, while 4% each name mental illness and cancer. Both diabetes and the flu or viruses are cited by 3% of U.S. adults.
Americans' largely negative views regarding healthcare coverage and quality in the U.S. likely contribute to the widespread perception that the overall healthcare system has major problems (54%) or is in a state of crisis (16%). The seven in 10 Americans now holding these views is in line with the trend average of 69%.