MENLO PARK, CA (Managed Care Wire): Americans rank the cost of healthcare as their third biggest economic problem, following the price of gas and concerns about jobs, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

The poll, which had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, studied a nationally representative random sample of 2,003 adults who were interviewed by telephone between April 3 and 13.

“Problems paying for healthcare and health insurance” as a result of recent economic changes was cited by 28 percent, the Kaiser poll found. Forty-four percent of those surveyed said that paying for gas was their top economic problem, and 29 percent cited getting a good-paying job or a raise in pay.

Respondents said they had less concern with paying their rent or mortgage (19 percent), dealing with credit-card or other personal debt (18 percent), paying for food (18 percent), or losing money in the stock market (16 percent).

“Many people view health and the economy as separate issues, but the cost of healthcare is a significant pocketbook issue for many families, and paying for healthcare has become a key dimension of the public’s economic concerns,” Kaiser President and CEO Drew E. Altman said.