One third of Americans have cut other expenses to cover their health insurance premiums.

A survey shows that one-third of Americans said that last year they made some sacrifices to cover medical expenses, such as skipping a meal or saving on medication.

The high cost of healthcare, especially when compared to other countries at the same level, takes up a large portion of many Americans' tight budgets. This has forced some people to choose to drive less to save on gasoline costs, reduce electricity usage, or even borrow money to make ends meet.

According to a survey conducted by the American public opinion polling agency Gallup and the medical cost research organization "West Health" last year, involving 20,000 Americans, it is estimated that more than 82 million Americans have made at least one sacrifice in order to pay their medical bills.

The survey, released on Thursday (March 12th), shows that the most vulnerable and uninsured groups are the ones most likely to make compromises to save money, but 11% of wealthy families also indicated that they have made similar trade-offs.

The president of the West District Health Policy Center, Rush, said in a statement: "When families from all income levels are forced to choose between medical bills and paying for heating or electricity, this is not a matter of individual budgeting; it is a systemic defect."

This survey comes at a time when American citizens are continuing to worry about rising living costs, and it is expected that this issue will once again become a key concern for American voters when they cast their ballots in the mid-term elections in November.

A separate survey conducted by the Western Health Policy Center among 5,660 Americans at the end of last year revealed that due to high medical costs, many Americans are postponing treatments and surgeries.

According to the survey, medical expenses have led 14% of the respondents to postpone their home purchase plans, 9% to delay their retirement, and another 6% to postpone their plans for having children or adopting children.