Men in the 11 countries were asked whether they’d had at least one medical bill problem in the past year, whether it was serious difficulty paying for care or being unable to pay a medical bill, spending a lot of time on paperwork or disputes related to medical bills, or having their insurer deny payment or pay less than expected for a claim.
Men in the U.S. were the most likely to report having at least one of these medical bill problems, with nearly half reporting at least one problem. By comparison, only 7 percent of men in the U.K. said they had a medical bill problem.
Men in the U.S. who had frequent income-related stress were significantly more likely to report having a medical bill problem compared to those who rarely experienced this kind of stress. There was no significant difference by income level. This may reflect the fact that lower-income men are less likely to use health care and therefore less likely to incur health costs and medical bills, while higher-income men are at risk of incurring medical debt when they seek care because of poor insurance protection.13
Conclusion
Our analysis dramatizes the failings of the U.S. health care system with respect to men and complements our recent analysis of health and health care for women of reproductive age.14 While doing relatively well in prostate cancer care and treatment, the United States compares poorly to most other high-income nations when it comes to receipt of preventive care and affordability of care. And on nearly every health care measure we studied, men in the U.S. with income insecurity fared the worst. As a result, American men, particularly those with lower incomes and financial stress, have the poorest health outcomes.
Expanding access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage would be a first step toward reducing these disparities. Improvements also will require the combined efforts of physicians, health systems, insurers, and communities to promote preventive care and healthy behaviors, including through targeted education and outreach. For their part, American men must become more proactive about their health, and that should include establishing regular connections with a health care provider. After all, “going it alone” is rarely the path to well-being.