Sick and Struggling: High-Need Patients with Financial Difficulties
<p>People with multiple physical or cognitive limitations are almost twice as likely to struggle financially as those without them. And financial difficulties prevent many from getting the care they need, when they need it. </p><p>In their analysis of data from a recent survey of high-need patients, the Commonwealth Fund’s Corinne Lewis, Arnav Shah, Melinda Abrams, and Tanya Shah found that high-need adults experiencing financial difficulties reported more emergency room visits and greater barriers to primary care, as well as poorer quality of care and communication with providers. </p>
<p>“Health providers and health systems should consider the benefits of systematically screening patients to understand their financial needs, and then linking them to services to help meet those needs,” the authors say. </p>