Paying for health care is now Americans' top financial worry, KFF poll finds
CBSN
Paying for health care has become Americans' top financial worry after Congress failed last year to extend some Affordable Care Act subsidies, triggering premium spikes for millions, a new survey finds. Edited by Aimee Picchi In:
Paying for health care has become Americans' top financial worry after Congress failed last year to extend some Affordable Care Act subsidies, triggering premium spikes for millions, a new survey finds.
Two-thirds of Americans say they are very or somewhat worried about affording health care, outranking concerns about paying for groceries, utilities or housing costs, according to the poll from the health policy research firm KFF. Among those, one-third described themselves as very worried about paying for medical expenses.
Health care costs include paying for health insurance, covering out-of-pocket expenses and prescription drug costs.
Health care is driving Americans' financial worries because these costs are rising faster than other categories of expenses for a substantial share of the population, the study found. More than half of U.S. adults say their health care costs increased in the past year, according to the KFF poll.
"KFF has long found that health care costs are a top concern for people when it comes to household expenses and economic necessities," Shannon Schumacher, senior survey analyst at KFF, told CBS News. "We're now seeing it rise to the top. It's really become top of mind amid rising costs all around and people trying to figure out how to pay for things."

Another winter storm may be headed toward the East Coast of the United States this weekend, on the heels of a powerful and deadly system that blanketed huge swaths of the country in snow and ice. The effects of that original storm have lingered for many areas in its path, and will likely remain as repeated bouts of Arctic air plunge downward from Canada and drive temperatures below freezing. Nikki Nolan contributed to this report. In:

Washington — The Senate is set to take a procedural vote Thursday morning on a package to fund the remaining government agencies and programs, with less than two days to avoid a partial government shutdown. But Democrats say they won't allow the package to move forward without reforms to immigration enforcement. Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.











