Health Care Costs Reach a Breaking Point

via NewMediaWire

Statement Highlights:

  • New American Heart Association Presidential Advisory warns that U.S. health care affordability has reached a crisis point.
  • Rising health care costs, driven largely by chronic disease, are forcing many people in America to delay or avoid care altogether, and contribute to worsening health outcomes and increasing medical debt for families nationwide.
  • The advisory outlines five core principles to inform policies toward a more affordable, sustainable health care system.

DALLAS - April 30, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - With health care costs constituting a major source of concern across the U.S., the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone, everywhere, today released a Presidential Advisory warning that health care affordability in this country has reached crisis levels and outlining key principles to address the problem.

Total health care spending nationwide is approaching $5 trillion annually and is projected to consume 20% of the nation’s gross domestic product within the next decade, according to the advisory, placing unsustainable pressure on patients, families and the health care system. The Heart Association projects that health care costs related to cardiovascular disease will quadruple by 2050.

At the same time, a recent public opinion survey from Gallup indicated that people across the country are worried about being able to access and afford health care. According to a survey from political pollster McLaughlin & Associates, more than half (51%) of voters say health insurance is their top health concern. Other top worries include hospital bills (11%) and the cost of medicines (10%).

The Presidential Advisory details how rising costs threaten the long-term sustainability of the health care system in the United States and jeopardize patients’ access to care, putting the health of families and communities nationwide at risk.

“Health care affordability is one of the defining challenges of our time,” said Dhruv S. Kazi, M.D., M.S., American Heart Association volunteer and writing committee chair, director of the Cardiac Critical Care Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. “This advisory outlines core guiding principles for action to ensure everyone in this country has access to the care they need and the health care system is sustainable for generations to come.”

Rising costs have real-world consequences, including forcing patients to delay or forgo care, which worsens health outcomes and contributes to financial hardship and medical debt. Medical debt, a uniquely American problem among high-income countries, is a leading cause of personal bankruptcy. The advisory warns that rising costs are impacting patients, families, employers, clinicians and communities nationwide.

The advisory identifies a complex set of interconnected drivers behind rising health care costs, including:

  • High prices for treatments and services
  • Administrative complexity
  • Underinvestment in prevention and public health
  • Demographic shifts
  • Cost shifting to patients

The Heart Association suggests that affordability cannot be addressed through cuts alone -- strategic investments in the health care workforce, infrastructure, primary care, data and public health also are necessary to improve outcomes while controlling long-term costs.

The Heart Association outlines five core principles to guide policymakers and stakeholders toward a more affordable and sustainable health care system, including:

  1. Access to high-quality care without financial hardship.
  2. Minimal or no-cost-sharing for high-value, cost-effective care, including preventive services.
  3. Shared accountability across the health care ecosystem for advancing a more efficient, transparent and cost-conscious health care system.
  4. Strategic investments in the health care workforce, infrastructure and data.
  5. Strengthen the public health infrastructure and address health inequities.

The American Heart Association Presidential Advisory was informed by an extensive research and writing group process that included interviews and listening sessions conducted with key stakeholders -- including patients, clinicians, payer representatives, employer representatives, health system leaders and public health experts -- to better understand the drivers and consequences of the health care affordability crisis and shape a framework to guide solutions.

“We at the American Heart Association believe everyone deserves access to quality health care without financial hardship,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Affordability is not just an economic issue – it is a health issue that directly affects lives. By laying out clear, evidence-based principles for action, we are doubling down on our commitment to advance policies and solutions that improve access to care, strengthen prevention and build a more sustainable health care system.”

The Heart Association encourages and challenges policymakers, health care leaders and stakeholders to use this advisory as a roadmap for meaningful action across all sectors to address the nation’s health care affordability crisis. The Heart Association emphasizes that reducing financial barriers to evidence-based, cost-effective care, prioritizing prevention and investing strategically in the health care workforce, infrastructure and public health are necessary to address health care affordability, which is essential to improving health outcomes and ensuring a more sustainable health care system for future generations.

The advisory was created by a volunteer writing group of experts on behalf of the Heart Association. Presidential advisories, policy statements and scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular disease and stroke and help facilitate informed health care decisions and policy and systems changes. They outline what data and evidence are known about a specific policy topic and what areas need additional research. Co-authors and their disclosures are listed in the manuscript.

The Association receives funding primarily from individuals. Foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers, and the Association’s overall financial information are available here.

More than 8 in 10 (82%) U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health, according to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll. The Association ranked second only to an individual’s personal health care provider.

Additional Resources:

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Julie Thomm – Julie.Thomm@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

 

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