This report analyzes responses from 6,073 mothers across all 50 states and the political spectrum to examine the real-world impact of health insurance on families’ access to care and financial security. Conducted in collaboration with News Not Noise following widespread public sharing of insurance-related hardships, the study documents the prevalence of administrative barriers, denied and delayed care, and resulting health harms—particularly among families with private insurance. Findings highlight systemic challenges in the current health insurance landscape and their consequences for family well-being.

Related themes:

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

Family Economic Security and Cost Pressures

Child and Family Mental Health Access and Support

• Administrative burden is widespread:
  Nearly 65% of mothers report struggling with excessive paperwork and authorization hurdles to access essential care, with burdens more pronounced among families with private insurance.
• Insurance companies often override medical judgment:
  More than half of mothers (54%) say insurance companies exert more control over healthcare decisions than doctors, and 60% of these mothers report that their family’s health has suffered as a result.
• Denied and delayed care cause real harm:
  About 45% of mothers report that an insurance decision harmed their family’s health, and a similar share report being denied treatments they believed should have been covered.
• Delays are strongly linked to negative health outcomes:
  Among mothers forced to delay or forgo care due to insurance requirements, 72% report adverse health effects, compared with 22% among those who did not experience delays.
• Private insurance is associated with worse outcomes:
  Families with private—especially self-paid—insurance report higher denial rates, greater administrative burdens, and more frequent negative health impacts than those covered by Medicaid or Medicare.

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