The ability to afford healthcare is at ‘crisis point’ doctors warn - and will consume 20% of America’s GDP in next decade

Fewer and fewer Americans can afford healthcare and the situation has reached a “crisis point,” according to an urgent warning from the American Heart Association.

And with total healthcare spending expected to account for 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product over the coming decade, people could feel even more financial pain, medical experts cautioned Thursday.

Total healthcare spending by U.S. adults currently sits at $5 trillion annually, driven largely by chronic disease, the association’s advisory said.

Rising costs often mean that people will forgo initial care, increasing the likelihood for more serious problems and therefore greater costs down the road.

The American Heart Association identified some causes behind people’s rising healthcare costs as complex administration at facilities, and a lack of investment in prevention and public health across the U.S. The doctors called on lawmakers and the healthcare industry to address the crisis.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 30 April 2026