In New Survey Of Eleven Countries, US Adults Still Struggle With Access To And Affordability Of Health Care

Abstract

Surveys of patients’ experiences with health care services can reveal how well a country’s health system is meeting the needs of its population. Using data from a 2016 survey conducted in eleven countries—Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States—we found that US adults reported poor health and well-being and were the most likely to experience material hardship. The United States trailed other countries in making health care affordable and ranked poorly on providing timely access to medical care (except specialist care). In all countries, shortfalls in patient engagement and chronic care management were reported, and at least one in five adults experienced a care coordination problem. Problems were often particularly acute for low-income adults. Overall, the Netherlands performed at the top of the eleven-country range on most measures of access, engagement, and coordination.