About half of adults in the United States say it’s difficult to afford health care, causing them to delay seeking care, a study finds. KFF. That’s why a new grassroots campaign aims to raise awareness about the unaffordability of healthcare.

Last week, a group of health care advocates launched the A nation, overloaded campaign, which fights to reduce health care costs and demands that the health care system put people before profits. It is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with 12 national partners: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Black Voters Matter, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Community Catalyst, Families USA, NAACP, National Immigration Law Center, National Urban League, New Disabled South and UnidosUS.

Another 130 advocacy groups focused on health care, civil rights and faith are also participating in the campaign, as are many celebrities and activists like Noah Wyle, Yvette Nicole Brown and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

The campaign is a three-pronged initiative, according to Tony Price, senior fellow at the NAACP’s Center for Health Equity.

  • The registration phase: mobilize and encourage people to join the campaign
  • The Speak Up phase: Call on people to add their voice to the campaign. The initiative produced a series of videos of people sharing how healthcare costs are impacting them.
  • The Show Up phase: encouraging people to plan an event in their local communities to raise awareness about the high cost of healthcare

“Health care is a right, and people shouldn’t have to sacrifice their finances to get health care. I think most people, whether they realize it or not, are one accident away from financial ruin,” Price said in an interview. “If someone, for example, experiences an unexpected medical event, that shouldn’t take them out of a certain socioeconomic status. We want to raise awareness that health care is too expensive, that health care is a right. [and] people should have access to it.

Avenel Joseph, vice president for policy at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, noted that there is not one specific piece of legislation that the initiative is trying to promote. The organizers are more in “listening mode,” she said.

“We really want to hear what people want,” she said. “I think we’re trying to learn from past mistakes where policy solutions were concocted in the lab, and it turns out it’s not exactly what people want, it doesn’t solve a problem that people have identified. Right now, it’s really about listening to as many people as possible across the country.”

The Latino organization UnidosUS noted, however, that some recent policy changes have had a major negative impact on health care costs and access, including the expiration of the ACA’s enhanced tax credits and cuts to Medicaid.

“We know that the costs and access to health care are main concerns of Latino families“said Stan Dorn, director of health policy at UnidosUS. “Through this campaign, we hope to help people better understand how federal and state policy decisions affect their daily lives and economic security. Just as important, we want to ensure that Latino voices and experiences are part of the public debate. By sharing their stories and engaging in the civic process, community members can help shape policies that better reflect their needs and priorities.

Photo: Creative-Touch, Getty Images