--- title: Most Americans Say the Health Care System Fails Them description: More than 70% of U.S. adults say the health care system fails them in some way, according to data from the Harris Poll. canonical: https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-05-16T15:08:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:51:13.213Z article:section: Health og:title: Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System og:description: In a new Harris Poll survey, cost was the most common criticism og:url: https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System twitter:description: In a new Harris Poll survey, cost was the most common criticism twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=38b44c5c-ab65-474b-b24d-123de634435a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=38b44c5c-ab65-474b-b24d-123de634435a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=38b44c5c-ab65-474b-b24d-123de634435a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Don’t Use Artificial Sweeteners for Weight Loss, WHO Says [Watch (HLS stream): Don’t Use Artificial Sweeteners for Weight Loss, WHO Says](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/tQEq3EOC.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2023-05-16. Artificial sweeteners may not help people lose weight, the World Health Organization said in new guidelines that warned against products like diet sodas._  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 16, 2023 3:08 PM UTC  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 16, 2023 3:08 PM UTC More than 70% of U.S. adults feel the health care system is failing to meet their needs in at least one way, according to new [data from the Harris Poll](https://www.aapa.org/research/patient-experience/), shared exclusively with TIME. --- ### More from TIME --- Despite [spending more money per capita on health care](https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/) than any other wealthy country in the world, the U.S. struggles to match other nations in [life expectancy and other health outcomes](https://time.com/6270808/americas-life-expectancy-divide/). The new Harris Poll survey, which was conducted from February to March 2023 and commissioned by the American Academy of Physician Associates, shows that [patient satisfaction is also suffering](https://time.com/6257775/patient-burnout-health-care/) due to the high costs, inaccessibility, and confusing logistics of U.S. medical care. More than half of the roughly 2,500 U.S. adults who took the survey graded the U.S. health care system a “C” or below. When asked about factors that prevent people in the U.S. from getting care, cost was the most common criticism, followed by the system’s focus on profits, inaccessibility of insurance coverage, and confusion around what is covered by insurance. Many respondents pointed to similar problems when asked about their own personal issues with the medical system. Only 27% of people who took the survey said the U.S. medical system meets all of their needs, while the rest listed complaints including how long it takes to get an appointment (31% of respondents), high costs (26%), limitations of insurance coverage (23%), and subpar focus on preventive care and wellness (19%). Those complaints seem to be keeping at least some would-be patients away from the doctor’s office. More than a fifth of people surveyed said they don’t see a single health care provider on a regular basis, and 44% said they’d [skipped or delayed needed care](https://time.com/5884236/coronavirus-pandemic-cancer-care/) in the past two years. Among those who skipped or delayed appointments, 40% said they did so because of costs, while 30% said they couldn’t take time away from work, family, or other obligations. The survey did, however, suggest some bright spots and paths forward. More than 75% of survey participants said that providers work with them to improve their health, more than 70% said they want stronger relationships with their providers, and more than 65% said they believe their health would improve if they regularly worked with a trusted provider—responses that suggest Americans haven’t totally given up on the system, despite their frustrations. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/"},"headline":"Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System","datePublished":"2023-05-16T15:08:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:51:13.213Z","description":"In a new Harris Poll survey, cost was the most common criticism.","url":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/","keywords":["Health Care","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/health-care/","name":"Health Care"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/","name":"Exclusive: More Than 70% of Americans Feel Failed by the Health Care System"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Don’t Use Artificial Sweeteners for Weight Loss, WHO Says","description":"Artificial sweeteners may not help people lose weight, the World Health Organization said in new guidelines that warned against products like diet sodas.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/tQEq3EOC/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-05-16T21:02:38.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/tQEq3EOC.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6279937/us-health-care-system-attitudes/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```