'Not worth the expense': Health-care workers dropping health insurance as even they can't afford it

Some U.S. health-care workers are now dropping health insurance coverage as costs continue to skyrocket.

Many health professionals are currently grappling with unaffordable medical bills, according to multiple recent reports. More medical workers will likely forgo health insurance in the near future, potentially straining the nation's healthcare system, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

"Health-care workers are no different than the millions of Americans facing skyrocketing insurance premiums they cannot afford," a Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare spokesperson told the DCNF. "This has meant more people forgo purchasing insurance and put off care until they need an emergency department visit, which can lead to hospitals becoming overwhelmed."

"An increase in the number of independent and small practice providers foregoing health insurance has the potential to put more strain on the larger healthcare system if they forego preventive care, get sick and cannot afford treatment or need to step back from the workforce," the spokesperson continued. "This is especially true in rural communities, where hospitals and health systems are already stretched thin."

In 2025, family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance climbed to an average of $26,993, according to estimates from KFF.

Health-care costs are expected to continue rising nationwide next year. Health benefit costs are projected to surge 8.2% in 2027, marking the biggest rise since 2003, according to a survey from American consulting firm Mercer published Aug. 31.

"It's no surprise that even upper-middle-income people are deciding that the risk-to-benefit ratio of buying individual insurance plans doesn't favor them," President Emeritus and Founder of Valley Surgical Clinics Ltd. Jeff Singer told the DCNF. "Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the government requires individual insurance plans to cover a package of essential health benefits, even if consumers don't want or need all of them. It also mandates that insurers spend a set percentage of premium revenue on medical care and quality improvement rather than on administration, marketing and profits."

"Yet premiums remain high enough that the federal government subsidizes coverage for many middle-income consumers through premium tax credits," Singer continued. "A growing number of people — even health professionals — believe insurance isn't worth the expense."

Singer also noted there are presently "few alternatives" available for health-care professionals "seeking less-comprehensive, lower-cost coverage for major medical expenses."

Additionally, some small businesses in the U.S. have recently had to skip health insurance coverage due to affordability concerns, the DCNF previously reported.

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