The healthcare system is complicated, sometimes on purpose. These tools are here to even the odds.
How to request an itemized bill, negotiate charges, ask about financial assistance, and find patient advocates on your side.Your medical bill rights (CMS) →Financial assistance help (Dollar For) →Free case managers (Patient Advocate Foundation) →
Your right to appeal, how to request an external review, and what to ask your doctor for.HealthCare.gov guide to appeals →
Where to check eligibility, compare plans, and find community health centers.Check eligibility and compare plans (HealthCare.gov) →Find a community health center (HRSA) →
Short, sourced explainers on prices, insurance, prescription costs, and how other countries do it.Mirror, Mirror 2024: international comparison (Commonwealth Fund) →Health policy research (KFF) →Our fact sheet →
Find your lawmakers, use our short call script, and cite sourced data with confidence.Find your representative (House.gov) →Find your senators (Senate.gov) →Call script →The facts, in one page →
Every figure we use, with its source and data year. We update these when sources publish new data.
| The fact | Data year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. health spending: $5.3 trillion, $15,474 per person, 18.0% of GDP | 2024 | CMS National Health Expenditure Data |
| U.S. ranks last of 10 wealthy nations overall; last on life expectancy and avoidable deaths; second on care process | 2024 | Commonwealth Fund, Mirror, Mirror 2024 · press release |
| 36% of adults skipped or postponed needed care due to cost; about two-thirds worried about affording care | 2025 | KFF, Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs |
| 47% worried they can’t afford care in 2026 (record high since 2021) | 2025 survey | West Health-Gallup via NBC News |
| 41% of adults have health care debt; 63% of them cut back on food, clothing, essentials | 2022 | KFF Health Care Debt Survey · summary |
| 19% of in-network claims denied on HealthCare.gov plans; fewer than 1% appealed | 2024 data, published 2026 | KFF, Claims Denials and Appeals |
| Marketplace premium payments up 58% on average ($113 → $178/month) | 2026 | KFF, 2026 Marketplace Enrollment |
| Marketplace enrollment fell for the first time in seven years; New Mexico only state to fully replace credits (+14%) | 2026 | KFF, Enrollment Across States |
| 19.2 million still enrolled; about 5 million fewer covered | 2026 | NPR |
| Median proposed 2027 marketplace premium increase about 15% | 2026 | Reuters via U.S. News |
| More than 14 million more uninsured by 2034 (2025 law plus subsidy expiration) | CBO projection | KFF analysis of CBO |
| 8 in 10 say healthcare is extremely or very important personally, incl. 9 in 10 Democrats, three-quarters of Republicans | 2025 poll | FOX 9 |
| 78% of doctors say prior authorization delays can cause patients to abandon treatment | 2026 | Chief Healthcare Executive |
Tell us what happened, or take a simple first step to make patient needs heard.
