Health Care Costs: A Top Concern for Americans

Recent surveys show that Americans routinely list the cost of health care above a litany other issues because as more pressing political and economic concerns. These are the same feelings of anxiety that have become widespread throughout this country.

Healthcare Costs—Costs that Stink

Health care bills have the ability to cause real financial hardship for families and individuals. For many, insurance costs are simply pricing them out of medical care (even for things they truly need), due to the high premiums and deductibles. So the fear that we have with rising health care costs definitely overrides an issue like inflation, which also hits people's household budgets but isn't directly personal to them as much as they believe their own health is.

A Multitude of Urgent Issues

So, health care costs are top of mind for many — but not the only crisis Americans face. Topics like drug addiction, illegal gun ownership and violence, unbridled immigration practices or racial hatred are hot-button issues that stir the passions of people living in communities across this continental land mass. Moreover, the slideshow of political terrorism has not stopped soon and keeps scaring a significant number of citizens with the situations they do not know what is going to happen in near future.

For the weight of those concerns, however, its concrete impacts on American life should give it urgent status. The idea of land and escalating health care costs leaves many living in fear due to the associated anxiety around financial security, as well as access to basic services.

Connecting Concerns

We cannot forget this interconnectedness. For example drug addiction, which is part and parcel in many communities where substance abuse and mental health challenges overlap—health care access plays a big role. Likewise, systemic racism often worsens inequities in health care that already exist and contribute to even worse medical outcomes for underserved populations.

Looking Ahead

With American Worries Changing, Health Care Reform Is Up to LawmakersAs the landscape of issues at home continues to shift in America's mind around this time each year– quite naturally — policymakers must place health care reform near or at the top so that Americans no longer have spend an ever-increasing amount for medical bills. In the process, they are able to talk about an issue that is the top of mind for voters and also address a longer list of societal problems that have far more implications on quality-of-life.

So, in the end it all comes back to one thing — although America has many problems on its plate — health care costs are at crisis levels. Solving this issue might potensiality generate a better society which allows people to keep their head above an other water, so they can focus on some other very important topics without stressing too much about the uncertainty of health costs.