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Oklahoma ranks #6 for the percentage of women who were unable to see a doctor due to cost at 17.3%. Texas has the highest rate out of the states — 20.4% — while Hawaii has just 6.9% of its women steering clear of the doctor’s office because of finances.
Percent of women who reported avoiding seeing a doctor within the last 12 months due to cost concerns in 2024.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
This indicator is a reflection of women who reported they were unable to see a doctor due to cost, despite their insurance status.
What is covered and the out-of-pocket expenses associated with healthcare coverage varies widely. A woman with a “catastrophic plan” or high deductible plan is counted as insured but may not seek routine care due to out-of-pocket costs.
Oklahoma’s high percentage of women who avoid seeing a doctor due to cost is partially explained by the state’s number of uninsured women (see Uninsured Women).
Due to higher premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses, medical debt is growing even among insured people. Oklahoma residents carry the second-most medical debt per capita in the nation.
Most women nationally (60%) receive health insurance through their employer. However, the out-of-pocket costs associated with employer-sponsored insurance have increased over the last decade. Overall, women pay $15.4 billion more than men in annual out of pocket health care expenses, not including premium costs. Despite coverage, 3.9% of women indicate their healthcare is unaffordable.
Women also spend 6.8% of their pretax income on healthcare, almost double that of men. That figure jumps to 20.7% of pretax income towards health insurance alone for single women making under $15,000 annually.
The impact of these rising costs compounds with the long-recognized pay gap between women and men (see Gender Pay Gap), as well as general wage stagnation, to make it more difficult for women to work doctor visits into their budgets.
While the number of women in Oklahoma and nationally avoiding healthcare due to cost has declined between 2013 to 2022, understanding the context and how COVID-19 has influenced the data is vital.
The state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic expanded the qualifications for government programs like unemployment insurance and Medicaid (SoonerCare). The expansion may have allowed new enrollees to see a physician they wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Further, caution associated with the coronavirus may have lowered the threshold for individuals who were previously reluctant to seek care.
This issue brief was written by Metriarch staff as part of our Data Lookbook. Contributions and peer review were provided by Kelsey Mishkin Gardner with the U.S. House of Representatives.
Suggested citation
Metriarch. “Access to Quality Care,” Data Lookbook (2025). URL: metriarchok.org/unable-to-see-a-doctor-due-to-cost.
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