US Healthcare Crisis: ‘Can’t Afford to Get Sick’

When Getting Healthy Hurts Your Wallet

A staggering 40% of US adults say healthcare bills feel like a financial grenade , per a 2022 Gallup survey. With costs soaring higher than TikTok trends, millions are choosing between prescriptions and rent.

Meet Leon: Freelancer, Dad, Uninsured

Leon, 34, left teaching to build furniture—and lost his health coverage. Now, this dad of two jokes darkly: \"Catching a cold could bankrupt me.\" With unstable gig work, even basic checkups feel like luxury purchases.

Why So Expensive?

The US spends double per person on healthcare compared to other wealthy nations (World Economic Forum, 2023). Yet stories like Leon’s spotlight a brutal truth: expensive insurance and surprise bills keep ERs empty… until it’s too late.

Youth Impact: More Than Just Memes

For Gen Z and millennials navigating side hustles? Going uninsured isn’t rebellion—it’s survival. As Leon says: \"We’re not anti-system. We’re just priced out.\"

Reference(s):

Finding True America: 'I can't afford to get sick'

cgtn.com