An 11-country survey from The Commonwealth Fund finds that adults in the United States are far more likely than those in 10 other high-income nations to go without needed health care because of costs and to struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing and healthy food. The survey findings, published by Health Affairs, also indicate Americans are sicker than people in other countries and experience high levels of emotional distress.
In a companion To the Point post, The Commonwealth Fund’s Dana Sarnak, Michelle Doty, David Squires, and Robin Osborn look at some of the reasons why the U.S. remains an outlier, such as lack of universal coverage, less financially protective health insurance, and higher health care prices.