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Health care spending per person in Oregon increased by 151% between 2004 and 2024, outpacing increases in housing and food costs, while some residents are borrowing money, cutting household expenses, and even skipping meals to afford medical care.
Insurance Does Not Always Make Health Care Affordable
A KFF brief updated in October 2026 indicates that about three in ten adult Americans (28%) say that they have skipped or postponed getting the health care they needed in the past 12 months because of the cost.
Roughly one in five (22%) adults overall say they had problems paying or were unable to pay medical bills in the past 12 months.
Three in ten insured U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 also still report not getting health care they need due to cost, as premiums and out-of-pocket costs continue to present a financial burden for many.
Oregon Spending Rises as Residents Sacrifice Essentials
One in seven (14%) American adults said they have had to cut back on household expenses like food, clothing, or other basic household items in order to pay for health care costs.
An August report by the Oregon Health Authority found that per-person spending on health care in the state increased by 151% over the 20-year period, compared with 117% for housing and utilities and 96% for food and beverages.
Tidings Data Snapshot
Oregon Health Spending Outpaced Other EssentialsIncrease in per-person personal consumption spending, 2004–2024These figures measure changes in spending, not prices alone. Health spending increased by 151%, reaching about 2.5 times its 2004 level.
Source: Oregon Health Authority / 2026 cost-impact report, page 13; Bureau of Economic AnalysisDailyTidings.com
Rising insurance costs are adding to the pressure. Average premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage in Oregon reached $24,688 annually in 2024, including contributions from employers and employees.
From 2013 to 2024, those premium costs increased 56%.
Despite 97.3% of Oregonians having health insurance in 2024, one in three residents reported taking serious steps to afford medical care.
Tidings Data Snapshot
How Oregonians Were Covered in 2024Share of Oregon residents by primary health insurance type- 51.6%Commercial
- 32.3%Medicaid
- 12.6%Medicare
- 2.7%Uninsured
- 0.8%Insured, type unknown
Source: Oregon Health Authority / 2024 Oregon Health Insurance Survey; 2026 cost-impact report, page 3DailyTidings.com
According to a 2025 West Health–Gallup survey cited in the report, 12% of respondents had borrowed money to pay for health care or medication, 8% had cut back on utilities, and 6% had skipped a meal.
One anonymous contributor quoted in OHA’s report described how rising premiums, deductibles, and co-payments had left increasingly little money for other essentials, saying there was “no money left for groceries.”
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