New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA) released a series of reports highlighting healthcare affordability issues with NJ residents, as well as overwhelming support from residents across party lines for systemic change to lower costs. The data comes from a survey of 1,100 NJ adults conducted from October 2 to October 24, 2022. More than 4 in 5 respondents (85%) worry about affording healthcare in the future, and well over half (57%) have faced challenges affording care in the past year. This includes going without health insurance due to high costs, delaying or going without treatment or medicine, or struggling to pay medical bills.
In addition to broad concerns about healthcare costs, respondents also identified prescription drug prices and hospital costs as significant pain points. Over half of NJ residents are concerned about the cost of prescription drugs, and almost 1 in 4 reported rationing medicine due to cost. 74% of respondents think both hospitals and drug companies charge too much, and nearly half delayed or skipped treatment because of unaffordability.
Read more:
- Altarum Data Brief NO. 140: New Jersey Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs; Worry about Affording Healthcare in the Future; Support Government Action across Party Lines. January 2023
- Altarum Data Brief No. 141: New Jersey Residents Worried about High Drug Costs; Support a Range of Government Solutions
- Altarum Data Brief No. 142: New Jersey Residents Worry about High Hospital Costs; Have Difficulty Estimating Quality/Cost of Care; and Express Bipartisan Support for Government Action
- New Jersey Citizen Action