(GALLUP) Americans unimpressed with US health care quality

The following is an excerpt from Gallup News.

For the first time in Gallup’s two-decade trend, less than half of Americans are complimentary about the quality of U.S. healthcare, with 48% rating it “excellent” or “good.”

The slight majority now rate healthcare quality as subpar, including 31% saying it is “only fair” and 21% -- a new high -- calling it “poor.”

These findings are from Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey. The latest update was conducted Nov. 9-Dec. 2, 2022.

A key reason views of U.S. healthcare quality have been trending downward in recent years is that Republicans’ positive ratings have been subdued since President Donald Trump left office.

Currently, 56% of Republicans rate healthcare quality as excellent or good, whereas 69% felt this way in 2020 and 75% in 2019.

Republicans’ views of healthcare quality also dropped in 2014 after implementation of the Affordable Care Act before rebounding under Trump.

Meanwhile, Democrats’ positive ratings have been steady at a lower level (currently 44%).

Additionally, since 2012, public satisfaction with healthcare has trended downward among middle-aged and younger adults, while remaining high among those 55 and older.

Whether this change (seen across party lines) stems from rising healthcare costs for those not on Medicaid, perceived changes brought about by the ACA, or something else isn’t clear.

The more recent declines among young adults may reflect changes to healthcare that have taken place amid the Covid-19 pandemic or curtailed access to abortion since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

No Change in Views of Healthcare Coverage

The same poll asks Americans to rate healthcare coverage -- both in the nation and their own.

The ratings gap between these is even wider than that seen for healthcare quality, with 32% of Americans considering healthcare coverage nationally to be excellent or good versus 66% rating their own coverage this highly. (Continued...)

Read full Gallup analysis here.