--- title: Americans Rate Health Care as Average description: While most employees are satisfied with their individual health plans, overall confidence in the broader benefits system remains low. image: https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-headers/health-care-average-b.jpg --- ![American health care system](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-headers/health-care-average-b.jpg) # Americans Rate Health Care as Average - Home - [Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers](https://blog.nisbenefits.com) - Americans Rate Health Care as Average [ Erin Woulfe ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/erin-woulfe) 11/26/2025 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Ancillary Benefits](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/ancillary-benefits), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) [0 Comments ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/americans-rate-health-care-average#postComment) 1 Minutes As open enrollment wraps up and employees look ahead to their 2026 benefits, a thought-provoking trend comes into focus: While more than half of Americans give the overall health insurance system a middling “C” grade or below, nearly 90% express satisfaction with their own coverage, according to a recent [eHealth](https://news.ehealthinsurance.com/_ir/68/20251/Healthcare_Pulse_Survey_2025.pdf) survey. These findings highlight a clear disconnect, while many employees are dissatisfied with the broader benefits system, they often feel content with their individual plans. This satisfaction, however, may mask underlying concerns related to cost or access. Rising healthcare costs are causing many Americans to delay or forgo necessary care. Recent surveys reveal that roughly half of Americans struggle to afford their monthly premiums or prescriptions, and nearly as many report difficult choices between paying medical bills and covering essentials like food or housing. Other findings underscore the scope of consumer frustration: - Health care access gaps – Only 48% of respondents report having access to their preferred doctors. - Worry about inflation – Over one third of Americans (35%) are more concerned about rising healthcare costs than about expenses like food, gasoline, or home insurance. - Systematic blame – Most survey participants attribute issues in the system primarily to insurance companies (66%) and drug companies (60%), followed by politicians (42%), and fraud and waste (34%).   ## **Employer Takeaway** As employees complete open enrollment for 2026, new data from eHealth reveals a widening gap between the coverage employees have and the confidence they feel in their benefits. These insights highlight a valuable opportunity for employers to align their benefit strategies with workforce needs. While changing the broader system may not be possible, communicating plan features, out-of-pocket costs, and provider networks clearly empowers employees to make informed, cost-effective decisions. Employers should regularly track healthcare affordability and access trends to guide benefits design and strengthen employee confidence in their coverage. Download the [bulletin](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-supporting-docs/bulletin-survey-americans-rate-hc-c.pdf) for more details. [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3325505/7d4cc476-ff48-46c5-929f-09612179e77f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3325505/7d4cc476-ff48-46c5-929f-09612179e77f) --- #### Tag: [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions) [ Ancillary Benefits](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/ancillary-benefits) [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.nisbenefits.com/americans-rate-health-care-average) - [Follow us on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.nisbenefits.com/americans-rate-health-care-average&text=Americans%20Rate%20Health%20Care%20as%20Average) - [Follow us on Linkedin ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.nisbenefits.com/americans-rate-health-care-average) - [Follow us on Pinterest ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://blog.nisbenefits.com/americans-rate-health-care-average&text=Americans%20Rate%20Health%20Care%20as%20Averagedescription=As%20open%20enrollment%20wraps%20up%20and%20employees%20look%20ahead%20to%20their%202026%20benefits,%20a%20thought-provoking%20trend%20comes%20into%20focus:%20While%20more%20than%20half%20of%20Americans%20give[...]&media=https://3325505.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3325505/blog-headers/health-care-average-b.jpg) --- [ #### Keeping Holiday Stress in Check ##### Previous Post ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/keeping-holiday-stress-in-check) [#### Approaching Deadline for Employer Use of MLR Rebates ##### Next Post ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/approaching-deadline-mlr-rebates) ### Leave a Reply This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Category - [Legislative News (1149)](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) - [Health Insurance Solutions (504)](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions) - [COVID-19 (209)](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/covid-19) - [Ancillary Benefits (175)](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/ancillary-benefits) - [Mental Health (122)](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/mental-health) ### Popular Posts [ Steve Smith ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/steve-smith) 02/16/2024 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions) [ Understanding Embedded vs. Nonembedded Deductibles ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/understanding-embedded-nonembedded-deductibles) [ Erin Woulfe ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/erin-woulfe) 02/09/2026 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) [ IRS Releases 2027 Health Plan Cost-sharing Limits ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/2027-health-plan-cost-sharing-limits) [ Valerie Ortiz ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/valerie-ortiz) 02/17/2026 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ The Administrator's Corner](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/the-administrators-corner) [ 4 Employee Wellness Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2026 ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/2026-employee-wellness-trends) [ Dina Lubben ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/dina-lubben) 11/14/2025 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) [ Trump Administration Unveils Plan to Make GLP-1 Drugs Affordable ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/trump-administration-plan-glp1-drugs-affordable) --- ## Related Posts [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news), [ The Administrator's Corner](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/the-administrators-corner) [ Valerie Ortiz ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/valerie-ortiz) 07 July, 2026 #### [New CMS Report: Healthcare Spending Trends Through 2034](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/healthcare-spending-trends-through-2034) New projections from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the… [Read More](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/healthcare-spending-trends-through-2034) [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news), [ The Administrator's Corner](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/the-administrators-corner), [ Mental Health](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/mental-health) [ Steve Smith ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/steve-smith) 06 July, 2026 #### [New HHS Rule Expands Catastrophic Coverage Access](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/new-hhs-rule-expands-catastrophic-coverage-access) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters… [Read More](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/new-hhs-rule-expands-catastrophic-coverage-access) [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news) [ Mari Wagner ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/mari-wagner) 25 June, 2026 #### [Federal Court Blocks Key ACA Exchange Restrictions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/federal-court-blocks-key-aca-exchange-restrictions) A recent federal court ruling blocked stricter ACA Marketplace eligibility and enrollment… [Read More](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/federal-court-blocks-key-aca-exchange-restrictions)