Despite Medicare, US Seniors Struggle to Afford Care Compared With International Peers

AJMC December 4, 2024
Giuliana Grossi

Key Takeaways

• Older Americans face high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, leading to delayed treatments and poorer health outcomes.
• The US and Switzerland have the highest out-of-pocket costs among surveyed countries, with significant gaps in coverage.
• Dental care affordability is a major issue, with many older adults skipping visits due to cost, especially in the US.
• Mental health services are more accessible, with cost being a minor barrier across surveyed countries.
• Policy interventions are needed to improve Medicare affordability, drawing on international models to reduce cost barriers.

Older adults in the United States are disproportionately affected by health care costs compared with their counterparts in other wealthy nations, despite the widespread availability of Medicare.¹ Findings from the 2024 Commonwealth Fund...

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