Even with high rates of health insurance, many Vermonters can’t afford or access care

The data: A mere 3.4% of Vermont residents were uninsured in 2023, far below the national rate of 7.9%, according to KFF Health News.

Yes, but: Even with health insurance, healthcare in Vermont costs more than it does in many other states.

• Vermonters pay the most for individual health coverage in the US. In fact, Vermont residents who get their health insurance through their employer pay more out-of-pocket than residents of any other state.
• The state also has the highest monthly Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums. The $948 Vermonters paid on average in 2024 dwarfs the $468 nationwide average, per KFF.

Compounding matters, even when Vermonters can find care, they increasingly have to wait for months at a time to access it.

Why it matters: Vermonters’ experience shines a spotlight on the growing problem with underinsurance in US healthcare. Consumers who are underinsured have health insurance, but their coverage doesn’t enable affordable access to care.

The absence of affordable access can be detrimental to folks’ health.

• High out-of-pocket costs are far and away the top reason why consumers skip or delay medical care, according to a Deloitte survey from earlier this year.
• Over half (57%) of underinsured patients in a recent Commonwealth Fund survey said they’ve missed out on care or treatment in the past year because of cost.

The bigger picture: As insurers and employers increasingly shift healthcare costs onto patients, we expect more consumers to avoid getting care altogether. This behavior may eventually add to the $4.5 trillion the US already spends on healthcare each year as consumers’ health further deteriorates in the absence of care.

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