Poll: 1 in 4 insured Americans worry they won't be able to pay for major illness

One-fourth of U.S. adults with private health insurance don't have much confidence in their ability to pay for a major, unexpected medical expense.

That's what a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds.

And it helps explain why President Barack Obama faces skepticism from the public that his health care law is holding costs down.

The poll found the biggest financial concerns among people with high-deductible plans. Those plans require patients to pay a significant share of their medical bills each year before insurance kicks in.

They are a growing share of those with employer coverage and the mainstay of the new health insurance exchanges created by Obama's law.

People with high-deductible plans were more likely to forgo needed treatment — and deplete their savings.