18 million Americans can't afford needed medications, Gallup finds

About 18 million Americans, or 7% of U.S. adults, say they were recently unable to pay for at least one prescription medication for their household, according to a new poll from Gallup. The finding shows in "stark terms" how high health-care costs and prescription drug prices are impacting households across the nation, the polling firm said.

The situation is even worse for low-income households with annual income of less than $24,000, with almost 20% unable to pay for at least one prescription medication in the prior three months, Gallup found in its survey of almost 5,000 adults in June. About 1 in 10 adults say they've skipped a pill in the prior year as a way to save money. 

Millions of Americans are struggling with health costs — even if they are insured — as prescription drug prices continue to rise. U.S. consumers pay far more than citizens of other nations for the same drugs, with a 2019 government study finding that people in other countries pay about 24% to 30% less than Americans pay for their medications. That means Americans' spending on prescriptions, on a per-capita basis, is the highest among the 12 nations in the study. At more than $1,200 per person in the U.S., that's double the average spending by people in countries such as Germany, the U.K. and Japan.