Most Americans want more price and quality transparency in health care.
WHY IT MATTERS – The House and Senate have health care transparency bills they are working to incorporate into the next spending bill.
THE NUMBERS – According to polling data from Gallup:
- 17% of Americans know the cost of their health care before they receive it.
- 79% of Americans don’t know the cost of their health care before they receive it.
When Americans were asked if health care costs should be transparent:
- 95% agreed
- 2% disagreed
In a separate question, respondents were asked if the costs of the health care products and services they received reflected the quality of those products.
- 29% said “yes.”
- 56% said “no.”
- 16% said they don’t know.
While Americans were less sure on the question of the cost compared to the quality of their health care, most agreed that they should know more about the complete costs before they receive care.
THE BOTTOM LINE: According to federal reports, the U.S. spent a record $4.5 trillion on health care in 2022. While the U.S. is spending more than ever before on health, most Americans don’t know how much they must pay or if they are getting the care for which they paid.
GO DEEPER – Few Americans Know How Much Their Healthcare Costs