U.S. Women More Likely to Die in Pregnancy and Childbirth and Skip Care Because of Costs, Finds New Study of High-Income Nations
A new Commonwealth Fund report out today contains troubling news about the state of women’s health and health care in the United States, with many of the problems linked to issues of affordability.
Compared to those in 10 other high-income nations, women in the U.S. have the highest death rates from complications during pregnancy and childbirth — 14 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to just four in Sweden. The report also finds U.S. women to be more likely to give birth via caesarean section, even though C-sections are generally not recommended for most mothers.
Women in the U.S. struggle to afford health care relative to their peers. One in four U.S. women spend $2,000 or more out of pocket for health care, compared with fewer than 11 percent of women in most other wealthy nations. But there was good news: U.S. women have generally better access to specialty care, and those over age 50 have among the highest breast cancer screening rates and lowest mortality rates for the disease.
The report finds that the U.S. has much to gain from studying the health systems in other countries, where coverage begins at birth, maternal care is often free at the point of delivery, and investments in primary care and social services early on help reduce the need for medical care.
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