Health Insurance Claim Denied? 66% of Americans Say It's a Crisis and Your Anxiety Type Determines What You Do Next

# Health Insurance Claim Denied? 66% of Americans Say It's a Crisis and Your Anxiety Type Determines What You Do Next

> **Quick answer:** A January 2026 KFF survey found 66% of insured U.S. adults say healthcare delays and denials are a "major problem," with 33% having a claim denied in the past two years. Yet fewer than 1% of denied claims ever get appealed, even though up to 80% of appeals succeed. How you respond to a denial, whether you fight, freeze, avoid, or research, maps closely to your health anxiety personality type.

Health insurance claim denied. Four words that can derail a doctor's plan, pile on debt, and send you into a spiral. If it's happened to you, you're not alone, and according to a sweeping new poll, it's getting worse.

## The Data Is Alarming: Inside the Healthcare Denials Crisis

A January 2026 KFF Health Tracking Poll of 1,426 insured U.S. adults found that **66% say delays and denials of health care services are a "major problem"** in navigating the health system. One in three insured adults (33%) had a claim denied in the past two years. Of those, 34% said it had a major negative impact on their mental health, and 26% said it hurt their physical health.

The numbers from the provider side are just as bleak. According to Experian Health's 2025 State of Claims report: