Commonwealth Fund Study Finds Sickest Americans Are Paying More for Care, Getting Less
American adults with chronic illnesses that limit their ability to care for themselves spend more than $21,000 per person for health care, about four times the average for all adults.
Despite that higher spending, however, a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund finds that those with the greatest medical need — defined as people with at least three chronic diseases and a limited ability to care for themselves — were more likely than other patients to have delayed or done without medical care or a prescription, and they’re more likely to say that their doctors were disrespectful, didn’t spend enough time with them, or didn’t listen or explain things carefully...