Washington DC. – For the first time in Gallup’s 20-year trend, less than half of Americans are satisfied with the quality of healthcare in the US, with 48% rating it as “excellent” or “good.” Slightly more people now rate the quality of their care as below average, with 31% saying it’s fair and 21% saying it’s poor.
The latest excellent/favorable rating for US healthcare quality is just 2% lower than it was in 2021. However, it is well below the 62% peak recorded twice in the early 2010s. It also lags behind the 55% average since 2001.
These results are from Gallup’s annual health and fitness survey. The last update he did was from November 9th to December. February 2, 2022.
A major reason for the downward trend in perceptions of the quality of health care in the United States in recent years is that Republicans’ positive assessments have waned since the resignation of President Donald Trump. Currently, 56% of Republicans rate the quality of health care as excellent or good, compared to 69% in 2020 and 75% in 2019.
The Republican view of the quality of care also dipped in 2014 after the Affordable Care Act went into effect, but has recovered under the Trump administration. Meanwhile, positive ratings for Democrats have remained stable at low levels (currently 44%).
Moreover, since 2012, public satisfaction with health care has trended downward among middle-aged and young people and remains high among those 55 and older. Is this change (when viewed across party lines) due to rising healthcare costs for those not dependent on Medicaid, changes perceived to be caused by the ACA, or something else? It is not clear whether it is due to The recent decline in young adults may be due to changes in medical care that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, or restrictions on access to abortion since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.
Positive opinions about their health quality are also decreasing
Americans also rate the quality of the care they receive personally poorly, with 72% rating it very good or good, although higher than in the United States. This low has been in place for him for two years, and in 2021 he will drop six points to 76%, with another four points drop last year.
While the initial decline was broadly similar across all age groups, the 2022 decline was seen only among adults aged 18-34. Just under half (53%) of this young age group are optimistic about the quality of care they receive today. This compares to 72% for those aged 35-54 and 85% for those 55 and older.
Thinking differently about health insurance
The same survey asks Americans to rate health care both domestically and in their home country. The difference in these ratings is even greater than the quality of health care, with 32% of Americans rating their health care nationally as excellent or good, while 66% rate their care. I appreciate it.
However, unlike the quality of care, these are not the worst medical scores historically. Nationally, the 32% rating is similar to 29% in 2021 and is in line with the 2001-2021 average. A point drop, but that figure was previously just 63% (in 2005).
Cost remains an issue
Public satisfaction with overall healthcare spending in the United States is typical of the last 20 years, with 24% satisfied and 76% dissatisfied. Satisfaction has averaged 22% since 2001, and there was only one drop by more than a few points during the 2020 pandemic when 30% were satisfied.
Amid high inflation in 2022, 56% of Americans say they are satisfied with their total healthcare spending, the lowest since 2016 as measured by Gallup.
Conclusion
In most of Gallup’s surveys of Americans’ views of health care since 2001, people rate the quality of care in their country highly and the issues they see in health care administration, such as coverage and costs. There was a clear difference between Public admiration for the quality of health care in the United States has fallen below 50%, and that is no longer the case, as the majority sees the quality as only fair or poor.
Since the ACA’s launch in 2013 under former President Barack Obama, Republicans under a Democratic president (now under President Joe Biden) are more likely to rate their health quality positively. Some of this change reflects partisan positions, as. They were either the Trump administration or, before that, the George W. Bush administration. However, changes with age suggest that additional factors are at work.
Even as they lament the cost, the majority of Americans continue to rate their health care and the quality of health care highly. is different. If these continue to deteriorate, Americans may become less resilient to rocking America’s health boat. This is the kind of policy change they are willing to accept to promote better public health outcomes. can affect