Health care is ‘overwhelmingly complex’ for older adults, experts say: ‘Ever-increasing hurdle’
Fox News
For senior adults, the complexities of health care can be overwhelming, experts say. Doctors weighed in on the challenges that make it difficult for seniors to get the care they need.
Led by Ishani Ganguli, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, researchers looked at data from 6,619 adults aged 65 and older, who responded to the 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data, to get an idea of the number of days spent receiving medical care. "The barriers to getting needed procedures and treatments are increasing, along with out-of-pocket costs." At highest risk are the older adults who are managing multiple medical conditions and those who have "low levels of education." Seniors must ask questions to ensure they understand their doctors’ directions. Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
During that year, the older adults had an average of 17.3 "ambulatory contact days," which consisted of visits to a primary care doctor or specialty doctor — or a test, imaging procedure or treatment.