New Poll Highlights Role of Insurers in Rising Costs as Hospitals Advance Affordability Solutions

Healthcare affordability remains one of the top concerns for Americans. A Morning Consult poll of 2,000 voters released this week by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, of which the AHA is a founding member, underscores what patients and families experience every day: Corporate health insurance companies are the primary driver of higher costs and barriers to care.

Americans Blame Corporate Health Insurers for Rising Healthcare Costs and Barriers to Care

Specifically, 47% of voters said corporate health insurance companies are most responsible for rising healthcare costs, followed by the federal government (36%) and drug companies (34%).

These findings matter. They reflect the real-world experiences of patients and families navigating a system where coverage decisions are too often shaped by corporate policies rather than clinical judgment.

And the concerns go well beyond cost.

The poll also found that 79% of Americans are worried about corporate insurers denying or delaying doctor-ordered treatments. Even more telling, 84% believe insurance companies have too much control over medical decisions, and 70% say doctors — not corporate insurers — should have the final say on what care patients receive.

Prior Authorization Burdens and Insurance Denials Threaten Patient Access to Timely Medical Care

We hear these concerns every day from hospitals and health systems on the front lines of care. Clinicians are forced to navigate a maze of prior authorization requirements, coverage restrictions and administrative hurdles. These are not isolated issues. They are systemic challenges that add cost, create confusion and, most importantly, can stand in the way of timely treatment.

The public understands this. And they are asking for change.

Hospitals and health systems share their urgency. We see firsthand the impact that delays and denials can have on patient outcomes. That is why we have consistently called for greater accountability and transparency from commercial insurance companies, and for reforms that ensure medical decisions are guided by what is best for the patient, not what is most profitable for a commercial payer.

AHA Offers Solutions to Make Healthcare More Affordable and Put Patients Back in Control

Throughout the year, we have been telling the hospital story on affordability using the framework we developed around educating policymakers and the public on the costs of caring and why our sector is unique; sharing examples of what hospitals are doing on their own to make care more affordable; emphasizing how all stakeholders must be involved in addressing the challenge; and offering concrete solutions.

Just last week, the AHA outlined actionable strategies and solutions to help drive care transformation and improve affordability. These focus on improving the health of individuals and communities; transforming care delivery; reducing administrative waste in the system; lowering drug and device costs; and innovating to improve care outcomes.

When nearly half of voters identify corporate insurance companies as the leading driver of rising costs and overwhelming majorities express concern about denials and delays, it is clear that reform is needed. The path forward starts with putting patients back at the center of the system.

Hospitals and health systems are committed to that mission. And we will continue to advocate for policies that protect access to care, reduce unnecessary obstacles and ensure that medical decisions remain where they belong: in the hands of patients and their doctors.