Tennessee
2025 Tennessee Consumer Health Experience State SurveyConsumer Healthcare Experience State Survey
A survey of more than 1,300 Tennessee adults, conducted from June 30 to July 31, 2025, found:
Across party lines, respondents express strong support for policy-based solutions.Below are Data Briefs with statewide survey results.
- Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) experienced at least one health care affordability burden in the past year;
- Over 3 in 4 (76%) worry about affording health care in the future;
- Over 2 in 3 (72%) of all respondents delayed or went without health care due to cost in the last twelve months;
- Low-income respondents and respondents with a disability or living in a household with a person with a disability reported higher rates of going without care due to cost and incurring medical debt, depleting savings, and/or sacrificing basic needs due to medical bills; and
- Across party lines, respondents express strong support for policy-based solutions.
Altarum’s Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHESS) is designed to elicit respondents’ unbiased views on a wide range of health system issues, including confidence using the health system, financial burden and views on fixes that might be needed.
Below are Data Briefs with statewide survey results.
2025 Briefs
2021 Briefs
Recent Surveys
Tennessee Residents Rank Healthcare Affordability as a Top Concern for Policymakers; Strong Support for Government Action Across Party Lines
In a period of great political divisiveness, Tennessee adults are fairly united around one topic—the need for government action to address healthcare issues, especially healthcare affordability. A survey of more than 900 Tennessee adults, conducted from March 26, 2021, to April 9, 2021,…
Read MoreTennessee Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs; COVID Fears Add to Support for a Range of Government Solutions Across Party Lines
Nationally, consumer worry about healthcare affordability is well documented but now—for the first time—a new survey reveals how affordability concerns and ideas for action play out in Tennessee. Key Findings A survey of more than 900 Tennessee adults, conducted from March 26, 2021…
Read MoreTennessee Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs, Particularly in Rural Areas
A survey of more than 900 Tennessee adults, conducted from March 26, 2021, to April 9, 2021, found that people living in rural Tennessee experience greater healthcare affordability burdens than people living in non-rural areas of the state. Almost 7 in 10 (67%) of…
Read MoreTennessee Survey Respondents Struggle to Afford High Health Care Costs; Worry about Affording Health Care in the Future; Express Bipartisan Support for Policy Solutions
Summary Health care is expensive in the U.S., and Tennessee is no exception. Nearly three in every four respondents (74%) reported experiencing at least one health care affordability burden in the last year; such as being uninsured due to cost, delaying, or forgoing needed…
Read MoreTennessee Survey Respondents Report that Trust and Respect Impact Care; Variations in Health Care Affordability Burdens
Summary Variations in Health Care Affordability Between Households Factors like household income and composition impact how a person navigates the health care system. For example, Tennessee respondents in households earning less than $50,000 a year reported experiencing a health care affordability burden more frequently…
Read MoreAltarum in Action
Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner cites CHESS survey in letter to State House Committee on Health and Human Services about HB072 related to reimbursement rates and repealing affordability standards. Read more
Washington State Senator Patty Murray’s office cites the WA CHESS survey in press release about Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing where Senator Murray questioned CEOs of major pharmaceutical companies about the high prices charged to Americans for their prescription drugs. Read more
Read More Altarum in Action Resources