Survey finds Kentuckians struggle with health care, affordability and access

A survey by The Asclepius Initiative found that Kentuckians face significant challenges in affording and accessing health care, even with insurance, according to a news release from the group.

“Even those who are insured have trouble affording health care, which is likely one of the contributing factors to Kentucky’s poor health status,” said Dr. Susan Bornstein, founder and CEO of The Asclepius Initiative.

The data confirms this, with a large percentage of both insured and uninsured individuals reporting they forgo necessary medical care or medications due to cost. The complexity of the system only exacerbates the problem, with many struggling to understand and utilize their coverage effectively.

“I was actually surprised that just under 40% reported being ‘not knowledgeable’ about using their health care coverage,” Bornstein said. “Given how incredibly complex the system is, I would have thought that number would have been much higher.”

Key findings from the 2024 survey of just over 1,000 Kentucky adults include:

• High rates of foregoing care due to cost:  87% of uninsured individuals surveyed and 55% of insured individuals reported delaying or forgoing medical care or medications because of cost.
• Rural disparities: People residing in rural communities were more likely to forgo medical care or medications (61%) than those living in urban areas (53%). Even among those with health insurance, the disparity persists (60% rural, 51% urban).
• Knowledge gaps: 38% reported feeling not knowledgeable about using their health care coverage.
• Support for universal health care: A significant majority of those surveyed (79%) believe that health care is a basic human right. This sentiment is shared across party lines, with 72% of Republicans, 89% of Democrats, and 80% of independents agreeing. Support for a national health care coverage program that would provide coverage for everyone rose from 67% in 2022 to 73% in 2024.
• Desire for comprehensive coverage: 86% believe that health care coverage should include hearing, vision and dental care. This is up from 65% in 2022.
• Impact on life choices: Nearly half (47%) indicated they would make life changes such as retiring or going back to school if they didn’t have to worry about health care coverage.

The survey also highlighted the challenges Kentuckians face in navigating the complexities of the current health care system:

• 69% reported at least one challenge in obtaining health care coverage, with the cost of premiums (31%) and finding a plan that meets their needs (29%) being the most common issues. Nearly 10% reported not knowing where to start.
• More than 60% reported at least one obstacle in using their health care coverage.
• One-third of those with health care coverage reported that it was difficult to know the costs of health care before receiving services.

The survey found that the financial burden of health care is a major concern for Kentuckians.

With half of the respondents reporting worry about health care expenses for themselves or their families at least once a month, Bornstein said: “Our health care financing system is affecting the quality of and constraining the way people live their lives. Our system creates tremendous vulnerability in coverage and getting necessary care because you can lose your insurance due to common occurrences like changing jobs, divorce, moving to a different state or earning too much or too little for various types of coverage. It makes us sicker.”

Full survey results can be found at AsclepiusInitiative.org/survey.