Op-ed: Tackling affordability is a shared responsibility. Here’s what hospitals are doing

Fierce Healthcare – Friday, July 10, 2026
By Rick Pollack

Rick Pollack is president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.

Health care affordability is front and center in America, from kitchen table discussions to heated debates on Capitol Hill. Americans are feeling the strain of rising costs, forcing difficult choices about whether to fill a prescription, schedule a follow-up visit or delay care altogether.

Healthcare system costs are driven by several factors, including the growing burden of chronic disease, unsustainable pharmaceutical pricing, insurance benefit design, and complex administrative burdens that add significant expense without really improving care. Every day, hospitals on the front lines of care see the impact these rising costs have on our patients, and we recognize and share the urgency to act.

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