U.S. healthcare consumers feel economic sting: report

LOS ANGELES, June 16 (Xinhua) -- For decades, healthcare costs in the United States have grown at a rate double that of Americans' incomes, and households are feeling strained as inflation rises to a decades high, according to a report of Axios.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans aged 50 to 64 said they had been skipping medications, cutting back on food and utilities to cover their medical needs. And they were increasingly worried about covering their future bills, according to the report, citing newly released Gallup polling.

About 42 percent of adults over 50 but still too young for Medicare said they were worried about being able to cover their medical expenses in the coming year, according to the survey Gallup and the nonprofit West Health conducted last fall as U.S. consumer prices began to spike.

"For decades, healthcare costs have grown at a rate double that of Americans' incomes, but as inflation rises to a 30-year high and global supply-chain shortages reach new heights, households across every income bracket are feeling strained," Gallup said in its report.