--- title: 'Republicans and Democrats Agree: The Cost of Health Care Is a ''Very Big Problem''' description: Health care costs in the U.S. are soaring, with Americans across the political spectrum calling affordability a major issue. Here's why. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 501 covers: - Economy and Politics - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Katherine Peach role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/ bio: Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. She didn’t always intend to write about money. She’s a classically trained pianist who dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. However, in 2007 Katherine began working in financial publishing as an editor for Agora Inc. (Apparently, unearthing ideas about improving your personal finances isn’t such a bad career alternative!) Katherine’s writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Studies with concentrations in Archaeology and Ancient Languages and a minor in Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. education: University of Maryland, Baltimore County at_money_since: 2025 articles: 14 covers: - Economy and Politics - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Education - Federal Reserve Rate Cuts - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z' modified: '2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z' section: Economy and Politics tags: - News word_count: 630 canonical: https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Photo collage of a doctor discussing treatment with a woman in exam room, with money in the background](https://img.money.com/2025/02/News-Health-Care-Cost-Problem.jpg) Regardless of your political leanings, you probably agree with this statement: Health care costs are too high in the U.S. Two-thirds of Americans now say the affordability of health care is a “very big problem in the country today,” according to a [new survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/02/20/americans-continue-to-view-several-economic-issues-as-top-national-problems/) from Pew Research in February, making it one of the top concerns in the minds of everyday citizens. In fact, Americans are more concerned about the cost of health care than a wide range of political and economic issues, including inflation, drug addiction, gun violence, illegal immigration, racism and both domestic and international terrorism. Overall, health care affordability is the second-highest concern, behind only the role of money in politics, which 72% of Americans also said is a “very big problem.” Inflation, at No. 3, is still on the minds of many, with 63% of respondents stating it’s a “very big” issue. ## Staying healthy has never been more important ### Protect yourself and your loved ones with a comprehensive and affordable health insurance plan. Click your state to learn more. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/d83a3e2738f7?ap_referrer=%2Frepublicans-democrats-cost-health-care%2F) ## Concern over health care costs is no longer partisan Pew has asked Americans about these issues several times before. Over the last few years, inflation has been the undisputed top concern. Before that, health care costs topped the list. What’s notable this year, however, is the share of Americans across the political spectrum who are now concerned about health care costs. The last time health care affordability was the top-rated concern was 2021. Then, it was viewed as a more partisan issue: Only 40% of Republican-leaning respondents called it a “very big” problem, versus 69% of Democratic-leaning respondents. The share of Republicans who are concerned with health care costs has ballooned since then, and Pew’s February survey shows the partisan gap is notably shrinking — with 61% of Republican-leaning Americans saying health care costs are a very big issue. On the other hand, 73% of Democratic-leaning respondents said the same. President Donald Trump appears to have gotten the memo. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order intended to provide more transparency with health care costs. The order requires health insurers and hospitals to disclose the actual cost of care — not just estimates — online and in an easy-to-read format, building on rules from Trump's first term. A [2023 study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9940230/) from the University of Minnesota found that, if fully implemented, such transparency measures could lower health care spending between $17 billion and $80 billion over a period of roughly two years. ## Just how expensive is health care in the U.S.? In the words of famed investor Warren Buffett: “Medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness." And if health care affordability were a competition, the U.S. would be losing to its peers on several fronts. According to the latest health care spending [estimates](https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/historical) from the federal government, the U.S. collectively spent $4.9 trillion on health care in 2023, amounting to roughly $14,600 per person. That figure is far higher than in any other country in the world. According to a Money analysis of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data, the U.S. spends 250% more per person on health care than the average of its peer countries. All that spending does not translate into healthier populations. A separate analysis from the nonprofit [Kaiser Family Foundation](https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-life-expectancy-compare-countries/#Life%20expectancy%20at%20given%20age,%20in%20years,%202023) found that among the top 12 wealthiest OECD nations, the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at 78.4, far below the average of 82.5. By comparison, in Japan — which spends just 40% of what the U.S. does on health care per person — residents live to over 84 on average. These discrepancies between the U.S. and other wealthy, developed countries have grown since the pandemic. And, as Pew's data shows, so has Americans' discontent. ## Get a Health Insurance policy that meets your wellness needs ### An affordable Health Insurance plan can cover any incident that might happen in the future. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/ueb4827bfe5c?ap_referrer=%2Frepublicans-democrats-cost-health-care%2F) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/37668/medium_fdc4868b-7284-4f34-894e-d1f7f503c688.webp) Secure your future with comprehensive Health Insurance today! [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/z3fd4391435d?ap_referrer=%2Frepublicans-democrats-cost-health-care%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Economy and Politics", "item": "https://money.com/economy-and-politics/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Health Care", "item": "https://money.com/health-care/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Republicans and Democrats Agree: The Cost of Health Care Is a 'Very Big Problem'" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/", "name": "Republicans and Democrats Agree: The Cost of Health Care Is a 'Very Big Problem'", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "Republicans and Democrats Agree: The Cost of Health Care Is a 'Very Big Problem'", "articleSection": "Economy and Politics", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2025/02/News-Health-Care-Cost-Problem.jpg", "width": 2894, "height": 1929, "caption": "News-Health-Care-Cost-Problem" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2022/01/a_adam-hardy.jpg?quality=85&w=400&h=440&crop=1", "email": "adam.hardy@money.com", "jobTitle": "Lead Data Reporter", "alumniOf": "University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/", "name": "The Penny Hoarder" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/advisor/", "name": "Forbes Advisor" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://creativeloafing.com/", "name": "Creative Loafing" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/opinion/biden-trump-harris-2024.html", "name": "The New York Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/26/flexible-spending-account-is-flawed-benefit/", "name": "The Washington Post" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-09-20/-100-000-h-1b-visa-fee-is-a-gamble-that-could-protect-us-jobs", "name": "Bloomberg" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/08/whoop-and-the-irs-how-tax-avoidance-helps-health/", "name": "Harvard Law School" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b#footnote-33-p60883", "name": "The Federal Register" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nclc.org/resources/what-states-can-do-to-stop-credit-reporting-abuses/", "name": "National Consumer Law Center" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-enrollment-irs-changes-fsa-hsa-flexible-spending-account-health-savings-account-2023/", "name": "CBS News" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/rankings-and-ratings/20-top-us-hospitals-for-2025-per-money/", "name": "Becker's Hospital Review" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/using-chatgpt-ai-write-cover-letters-job-applications-2023-2", "name": "Business Insider" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-major-strike-of-beef-workers-pauses-in-colorado-but-workers-say-the-fight-isnt-over/", "name": "Mother Jones" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://theweek.com/business/economy/job-market-frozen-thawing", "name": "The Week" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://fortune.com/2023/12/20/workers-lose-money-on-unused-fsa-accounts-deadlines-what-companies-should-do/", "name": "Fortune" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/liberation-day-tariffs-economy-stock-market-trump-20250401.html", "name": "The Philadelphia Inquirer" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37955/Student_Loan_Changes_2026_New_Repayment_Options_Taxable_Forgiveness_and_More_on_the_Way", "name": "National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://eab.com/resources/blog/adult-education-blog/graduate-funding-shift-pricing-aid-strategies-aligned/", "name": "Education Advisory Board (EAB)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://ticas.org/california/state-private-loans-protections-blog/", "name": "The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://thismorningwithgordondeal.com/b/This-Morning-with-Gordon-Deal-August-04,-2026/421564107823081285.html", "name": "This Morning with Gordon Deal" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/pumpkin-spice-season-spending", "name": "Empower" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Economics/comments/1va10oa/comment/p0i9bju/", "name": "Reddit" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z", "description": "Health care costs in the U.S. are soaring, with Americans across the political spectrum calling affordability a major issue. Here's why.", "abstract": "Health care costs in the U.S. are soaring, with Americans across the political spectrum calling affordability a major issue. Here's why.", "@id": "https://money.com/republicans-democrats-cost-health-care/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2025-02-26T20:21:23.000Z", "editor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katherine Peach", "url": "https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/#author", "description": "Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. She didn’t always intend to write about money. She’s a classically trained pianist who dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. However, in 2007 Katherine began working in financial publishing as an editor for Agora Inc. (Apparently, unearthing ideas about improving your personal finances isn’t such a bad career alternative!)\r\n\r\nKatherine’s writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others.\r\n\r\nKatherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Studies with concentrations in Archaeology and Ancient Languages and a minor in Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.", "jobTitle": "Associate Editor", "alumniOf": "University of Maryland, Baltimore County", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "wordCount": 630, "keywords": [ "News" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Political economy", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_economy" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Health care", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care" ] } ] } ] } ```