State Legislative Actions to Address Healthcare Affordability

Healthcare affordability remains a leading concern across the United States, shaping decisions about insurance coverage and access to care. Approximately one-third of adults report delaying or forgoing needed care, and four in ten say they have skipped or reduced the dosage of a prescribed medication in the past year due to cost. These challenges disproportionately affect economically marginalized communities, including uninsured individuals, those with low incomes, rural residents, and Black and Hispanic populations.

State Futures in partnership with State Health and Value Strategies at Princeton University released this issue brief highlighting strategies state legislators are deploying to improve healthcare affordability, strengthen hospital financial assistance policies, and generate revenue to offset losses in federal healthcare funding. An accompanying brief, State Legislative Actions to Address Medical Debt, covers state efforts on that front.