Health care costs crushing families, not just the deficit

Americans are tired of choosing between medicine and rent. A new Pew report shows health care costs are now the top worry for most households — ahead of inflation, the national deficit, and even immigration.

People aren’t just complaining. They’re skipping pills, delaying checkups, and paying off medical bills with side gigs. The cost of insulin, mental health visits, and ER trips keeps climbing, while paychecks barely keep up.

Even folks with insurance are getting hit. Deductibles that used to be $1,000 are now $5,000 or more. One auntie in Texas told her cousin: "I go to the doctor, they give me a bill bigger than my rent."

The report notes that while political talk still fixates on border walls and spending cuts, real pain is happening in clinics, pharmacies, and kitchen tables across the country.

Why this matters for us: When your abuela can’t afford her blood pressure meds, no budget spreadsheet can fix that.