U.S. consumers believe health insurers and the federal government are to blame for higher health care costs.
That's according to a poll issued by Morning Consult, a Washington, D.C.-based market researcher and online publication.
The poll, conducted from Dec. 11 to 15, found that consumers blame health insurance companies the most -- 31 percent said they were responsible for spiking health insurance premiums. Another 25 percent blamed the federal government for soaring costs.
"People don't have a clear idea of what goes into their (health care) premium calculations," Caitlin Owens, a Morning Consult reporter, told Patient Daily. "They only see the dollar amount that's put in front of them once the calculation process is over."
U.S. health care spending grew 5.3 percent in 2014, according the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
"Clearly, people are blaming insurance companies for rising costs," Owens said.
The largest health insurance companies in the U.S. supported passage of Obamacare, which included an "individual mandate" that forces all Americans to buy health insurance. However, this hasn't worked out as expected.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about 10 million fewer Americans have enrolled in insurance plans. And of those who have enrolled, many have been older and in poorer health.
