Less than 20 percent of Americans say they know how much they will have to pay before receiving health care treatments, according to a new report.
The Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report survey, released Wednesday, found that 79 percent of Americans do not know the cost of their health care before receiving care, while just 17 percent said they do. Roughly 95 percent of respondents said health care providers should make the costs more transparent before receiving care.
In addition, most Americans say the quality of the care they receive does not live up to the costs, according to the survey. Fifty-six percent said the quality does not reflect the cost, 29 percent said it does and 16 percent were not sure.
These poll results come as health care spending is on an upward climb in the United States.
Federal estimates show that U.S. healthcare spending in 2022 jumped 4.1 percent from the previous year to total $4.5 trillion. This averaged out to about $13,493 per person in healthcare spending, according to the National Health Expenditure Accounts.
A separate Gallup poll, released last year, found that a record-high number of Americans in 2022 put off medical treatment due to costs, with 38 percent saying that they or a family member had postponed treatment.
The most recent survey was conducted this past summer among 5,458 U.S. adults between May 8-15, and has a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.
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