Voters lack trust in health insurers, decry medical debt

Most voters, regardless of political affiliation, believe healthcare is unaffordable, and just 34% say they trust health insurance companies, according to a new study sponsored by Undue Medical Debt.

When asked whom they trust to look after their best interests, voters say healthcare providers (85%) and hospitals (78%).

There's a steep drop-off when considering other actors in healthcare – just one-third or less say they trust health insurance companies (34%), drug companies (32%), private equity firms that own doctor practices (29%), or corporations that run large health systems (26%) to look after their best interests.

They blame health insurance companies the most for their medical debt (63%), followed by pharmaceutical companies (12%) and hospitals (9%). Just 3% place the blame on doctors or patients.  

This held true across political affiliation: 70% of Democrats, 62% of Republicans and 59% of Independents say they blame health insurance companies the most for medical debt.  

Most (84%) believe that having health insurance should protect people from medical debt – including 91% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans and 84% of Independents. 

Yet nearly three-quarters (74%) say that health insurance is "mostly failing" at this. And there is bipartisan consensus here, with 79% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 77% of Independents saying the same.  

Three-quarters (76%) believe that "we need to switch to a different system of health insurance" that doesn’t tie coverage to employment. Majorities of Democrats (85%), Republicans (65%) and Independents (79%) agree.  

WHAT'S THE IMPACT 

Overall, seven in ten voters find healthcare unaffordable, and this sentiment is shared across Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

This assessment is often based on personal experience. Many voters (45%) say they are struggling to afford common medical expenses, including dental care (32%), deductibles (27%) and any health insurance (20%).

More than a third of voters (35%) currently owe money or have debt due to medical or dental expenses. This could include any medical or dental bills that they have put on a credit card and are paying over time, or that they're unable to pay altogether.

More than one-third (35%) say they have adjusted their health behaviors due to fears about medical debt. Twenty-two percent report delaying or skipping care, 15% say they've skipped treatments or follow-up appointments and 14% have experienced physical pain because they delayed seeking medical care.

THE LARGER TREND 

Three-quarters of voters (76%) say they want their state to pass laws that would protect people from medical debt. 

There is strong support for limiting interest rates for medical debt, limiting the ability of collection agencies to take a person's property, requiring hospitals to use the same, simpler applications for financial assistance, and setting limits on how much hospitals and insurers can charge for services, the survey showed.