U.S. Adults with chronic conditions more likely to forego care than those in other high-income nations

Adults living with chronic health problems who live in the U.S. are more likely to forego care than those with chronic health problems living in other high-income nations, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund.

The report examines data from a survey from patients from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. 

Key findings from the report:

• 27% of U.S. patients with chronic health issues were unable to pay or had problems paying medical bills in the past year, compared with between 1 percent and 14 percent of adults in the other countries.
• In the U.S., adults under 65 were far more likely to go without care because of the cost or to have problems paying bills.
• Adults with complex care needs who received care from a medical home were less likely to have duplicate testing, and more likely to have follow-up care.
• Adults with complex care needs who received care from a medical home were also more likely to be satisfied with their care.

(Sources: The Commonwealth Fund, http://www.commonwealthfund.org, November 9, 2011)