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U.S. patient experience gets C grade, driven by poor cost scores
Most of the U.S. patient experience has room for improvement, but high healthcare costs are perhaps the biggest pain point for consumers.
The U.S. healthcare system should be concerned about its grade point average, with new polling showing dismal grades for patient experience, healthcare costs, clinical quality and access to care.
The polling, conducted by West Health and Gallup Poll, revealed that most healthcare consumers would give their overall healthcare experience a C grade. Very few (9%) would give the nation's healthcare quality an A grade, while a sizeable proportion (17%) would give it a D.
Promisingly, 33% of consumers said they'd give their overall healthcare experience a B, meaning the industry has some areas in which it's performing well for patients.
But consumer experiences with healthcare costs are flagging, perhaps souring their perceptions of healthcare overall.
The good news: patients perceive decent clinical quality
Perhaps the best news in the poll is that patients think the quality of their healthcare is good. Around one in 10 (12%) would give it an A rating, while a solid 35% would give it a B. Another 35% would give it a C.
That's translating to a better patient experience and higher patient satisfaction. For example, more than three-quarters of patient respondents said their medical providers treat them with respect and another 68% said they receive high-quality care.
What's more, patients were likely to report that their providers are addressing key issues during primary care visits. Around three-quarters said their primary care providers ensure they get all recommended health screenings and that they discuss healthy lifestyle choices. Six in 10 patients said their primary care provider asks about their mental healthcare.
Where the industry falters is in access to medical information. For example, patients were less likely to say their provider knows their health needs and preferences, or that they know their medical history well. This could be indicative of restricted health IT infrastructure that keep providers from easily and seamlessly integrating patient data into their clinical practice.
Healthcare access has room for improvement
In terms of healthcare access, patients gave middling reviews. Respondents gave overall healthcare access a C+ grade, with some stating that they find it easy or somewhat easy to access care in the U.S. About 65% said they can see the same medical professional consistently when they access care at least some of the time.
But there are also key care access barriers patients contend with, the data revealed. For example, long appointment wait times can hamper the patient experience, with 44% of respondents saying they faced a long wait time within the past year. Separate data has clocked the average appointment wait time at 31 days in 2025.
It's not just the wait times. Patients said their providers aren't located conveniently, with 26% saying the distance to or location of their medical providers prevented or delayed access to care.
Still, despite any positive perceptions patients might hold about their healthcare quality and access, crippling healthcare costs continue to stand in the way.
The bad news: healthcare costs bar care access
Notably, fewer patients than ever think the cost of healthcare is worth the quality they receive, with only 45% saying healthcare is worth its current cost. That’s compared to 2021 when 53% of respondents said the same.
That likely contributes to the D+ grade consumers gave to the healthcare cost landscape.
Overall, 22% of patients said healthcare costs pose a major financial barrier in their households. To mitigate the healthcare cost burden, patients are cutting back on utilities (9%), borrowing money (15%), skipping meals (11%), driving less (11%) and prolonging their current prescriptions by cutting pills (15%). Another 23% skipped a prescription altogether to save money.
All said, 47% of Americans are worried about their ability to pay for needed healthcare in the next 12 months.
These findings come as consumers stare down growing health insurance premium costs. Price hikes are slated to affect individuals purchasing plans on the ACA marketplaces and those covered by employer-sponsored health plans. With the price of cost-sharing growing, patients might see their already strained pocketbooks stretched thinner.
Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.
