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Americans More Likely To Forgo Care Than Citizens Of Other Wealthy Countries

A new Commonwealth survey finds that the United States leads wealthy nations in the number of adults who can’t afford health care services and end up skipping care altogether. Forty-two percent of Americans with health issues chose to go without care, the survey found, compared to a range of 1 to 14 percent of adults in 10 other countries. Also, more than a quarter said they could not or had difficulty paying their medical debt.

The chart below demonstrates how the U.S. compares with the rest of the world:

The study puts another dent in the GOP’s claim that the United States has the best health care system in the world. In truth, too many Americans lack access to it and thus often forgo needed treatments and preventive services that could forestall more intensive and expensive treatments and even improve health care outcomes.

-Rebecca Leber

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