Care of chronically ill lags in U.S.

Chronically ill individuals in the United States are much more likely to experience difficulty in getting the medical care they need than similarly situated individuals in other highly developed countries.

This finding is made by The Commonwealth Fund and is based on a survey of 7,500 chronically ill patients from the U.S., Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealnd and Australia.  It is reported by the journal Health Affairs.

More than half (54 percent) of U.S. patients did not get recommended care, fill prescriptions, or see a doctor when sick because of costs versus 7-36 percent in the other countries.

One-third of U.S. patients experienced medical errors versus 17-29 percent in other countries.

And one-third of U.S. patients experienced poorly encountered care versus 14-26 percent in other countries.

Respondents had at least one of seven chronic conditions:  hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, lung problems, cancer, or depression.