Listening to Low-Income Patients: Obstacles to the Care We Need, When We Need It
<p>“Do you want your teeth, or do you want your heart to continue beating?”</p><p>That’s how an Atlanta woman participating in recent Commonwealth Fund–supported focus groups explained the role cost plays in her health care decisions.</p>
<p>A new <em>To the Point </em>post by the Commonwealth Fund’s Corinne Lewis, Melinda Abrams, and Shanoor Seervai explores the challenges low-income patients face when trying to get care — high costs, finding a time to go to the doctor, and a lack of trust in the health care system, among others. The authors also discuss some of the practical solutions that patients recommend. </p>
<p>The post is the first in our “Listening to Low-Income Patients” series, which conveys through patients’ own words the range of issues — like quality, community, mental health, and addiction — that affect their health. </p>