Phelps County Focus: Missouri patients send clear message on healthcare affordability

By Connie Farrow, Patients Come First Missouri Executive Director

For Missouri families, rising healthcare costs are more than a policy debate. They mean higher insurance premiums, mounting medical bills and difficult choices about whether they can afford needed care.

A recent YouGov survey conducted on behalf of Patients Come First underscores these concerns. Among 417 registered Missouri voters surveyed in August, 87 percent said candidates’ healthcare positions are important to their vote. With November elections approaching, lawmakers should pay attention.

Missourians report that healthcare has become less affordable over the past two years, forcing many to delay or forego care.

National findings reinforce these concerns. Fifty-five percent of Americans say healthcare has become less affordable, while 54 percent report rising insurance premiums. Nearly half have delayed or skipped care because of costs, and 45 percent have sacrificed everyday necessities to pay healthcare expenses.

Read the full op-ed in the Phelps County Focus here.