PAN patient research reveals low understanding of healthcare plans and financial assistance

Only two in five patients know whether their insurance plan uses common practices that prevent access to treatment and increase patient costs.

PAN Foundation’s Center for Patient Research released findings from a national poll exploring the awareness and understanding levels of financial assistance programs for healthcare-related expenses and challenges people face navigating their healthcare plans.

The poll, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that only one in five U.S. adults (21 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (24 percent) report being extremely or very familiar with financial assistance programs. These programs include pharmaceutical patient assistance programs, independent charitable foundations, federal programs like Extra Help, hospital charity care assistance, and more.

The poll also found that only about two in five U.S. adults (37 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (38 percent) understand their healthcare plan very well. Specifically, two in five U.S. adults don’t understand if their plan has an alternative funding program vendor relationship in place (41 percent) or what prescriptions/treatments require step therapy (40 percent).

Download the poll report

Other findings:

Patients need financial assistance but lack awareness of programs

• Roughly 30 percent of U.S. adults and 37 percent of patients with a chronic condition needed financial assistance in the past year to help cover out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
• Among those who needed financial assistance, 37 percent of U.S. adults and 41 percent of adults with a chronic condition did not end up receiving financial assistance.
• Among U.S. adults, 40 percent had never heard about independent charitable assistance foundations or pharmaceutical patient assistance programs.
• The internet (32 percent for U.S. adults; 31 percent for patients with a chronic condition) and healthcare providers (23 percent for U.S. adults; 25 percent for patients with a chronic condition) are the first places people turn to for information about financial assistance programs.

Patients face challenges using their healthcare plans

• Over half (56 percent) of U.S. adults, and even more patients with a chronic condition (63 percent), report challenges/barriers using their healthcare plans in the past year.
• Many U.S. adults (35 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (42 percent) have delayed or avoided necessary care due to confusion about their healthcare plan coverage.
• Many U.S. adults (28 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (35 percent) delayed or skipped taking prescription medication due to lack of affordability or healthcare plan coverage in the past year.
• Most U.S. adults (84 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (85 percent) report experiencing some impact because of challenges using their healthcare plans.

Patients want more education and awareness

• Most U.S. adults (84 percent) and patients with a chronic condition (87 percent) report a range of resources would help them understand and navigate financial assistance programs and healthcare plans.
• The most requested resources include: questions to ask my healthcare provider and insurance plan (29 percent of U.S. adults; 33 percent of patients with a chronic condition); a case manager who could help them with financial assistance (29 percent of U.S. adults; 33 percent of patients with a chronic condition); and simple guides explaining key terms, benefits, and eligibility requirements (29 percent of U.S. adults; 32 percent of patients with a chronic condition).

“This poll makes it clear that more needs to be done to help people understand and navigate financial assistance programs and their healthcare plans,” said Kevin L. Hagan, president and CEO of the PAN Foundation. “At the PAN Foundation we are committed to breaking down complex healthcare topics such as these to help ensure everyone has access to affordable healthcare. We will use these findings to keep creating clear, easy-to-understand resources and support services that meet the needs of patients. In addition, we will continue to serve as a critical safety net for those who need help affording their care through our 80+ financial assistance programs.”

Responding to the need for education and awareness

PAN’s educational initiatives are focused on making it as easy as possible for people to make decisions that help them access affordable care. By developing resources with clear, plain language, PAN is working to empower people to navigate their healthcare journeys.

Resources

• PAN’s educational resources
• How to find financial assistance for your prescription medications
• Tips for saving money on prescription medications
• How alternative funding programs prevent access to medications
• Protecting your access to medications

Polling methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States between March 4 and March 6, 2025, among 2,046 adults (aged 18 and over) by The Harris Poll on behalf of PAN Foundation via its Harris On Deman omnibus product. Included in the 2,046 adults were 1,273 adults with any chronic condition, defined as those who self-report having been diagnosed by a healthcare provider with at least one of several specific chronic conditions. Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income, and political party affiliation, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

About the PAN Foundation 

As a leading charitable foundation and healthcare advocacy organization, the PAN Foundation is dedicated to accelerating access to treatment for those who need it most and empowering patients on their healthcare journeys. We provide critical financial assistance for treatment costs, advocate for policy solutions that expand access to care, and deliver education on complex topics—all driven by our belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, equitable healthcare.

Since 2004, our financial assistance programs have helped more than 1.3 million people to start or stay on life-changing treatment. In addition, we’ve achieved major policy victories that increase access to care, mobilized patient advocates to call for change, and educated people nationwide on critical healthcare-related topics. We’re committed to working towards a future where equitable health outcomes are a reality for all. To learn more, visit panfoundation.org.