92% of Americans have delayed or skipped medical care over cost: survey
A JG Wentworth survey found 92% of U.S. adults have delayed or abandoned medical care because of cost, with 94.2% of those aged 18 to 28 putting off treatment. Watch insurers, pharmacies and hospitals.
A new survey shows the healthcare affordability crisis has gone from bad to structural. Reports citing the Independent say 92% of U.S. adults have delayed or abandoned medical care because of cost, with younger Americans hit hardest.
What the survey found
According to the coverage, the figure comes from a survey of 1,507 U.S. adults by financial services firm JG Wentworth. Those aged 18 to 28 are the most likely to delay or avoid care because of cost at 94.2 percent, followed by those aged 29 to 44.
The study said the findings highlight a growing gap between having health insurance and feeling financially protected, with medical costs forcing many Americans to delay treatment, cut essential spending and take on debt.
The debt overhang
A doctor’s office visit for those without insurance costs an average of $171 across major U.S. cities, according to a February 2026 analysis by healthcare provider marketplace Zocdoc.
Collectively, American consumers hold $220 billion in medical debt, according to a February poll from KFF, or around $958.61 per adult with medical debt. That is a demand-destruction signal for elective procedures and prescription volumes.
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Why it matters for markets
When nearly all adults are rationing care, the flow-through hits insurers, pharmacy chains, hospitals, and drug makers in different directions. Insurers may see lower near-term utilization, but deferred care tends to resurface as more expensive claims later.
A 2025 KFF survey found that nearly one in five adults said their health deteriorated after skipping a doctor’s visit. That is the setup for a utilization catch-up trade down the line.
Options market and stocks to watch
Watch for reactions across the healthcare complex as the affordability narrative builds:
UNH: watch for commentary on medical loss ratios and whether deferred care is showing up in claims trends.
CVS: watch the pharmacy and Aetna segments, since 31% of adults reportedly swapped prescriptions for over-the-counter drugs.
CI: watch for pricing power signals into 2026 renewals as employers push back on premiums.
HCA: watch hospital volumes and bad-debt provisions if uninsured visit costs keep rising.
LLY: watch for any softness in self-pay categories, especially GLP-1s where affordability is already a swing factor.
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