5 Reasons Why Access to Care Fails the Sickest Patients

Patients with overlapping medical and mental health needs often fall through gaps in a fragmented healthcare system. getty

America’s healthcare system was never designed for patients whose medical and mental health needs collide. And nowhere is that clearer than in how access to care breaks down for the sickest patients. Yet these cases are rising, as is the number of people stuck between providers, insurance criteria and levels of care that don’t align. Chances are, you’ve been there. While the system can perform extremely well for straightforward illnesses, it begins to fall apart when a patient’s condition spans multiple specialties at once.

Here are five reasons why the sickest patients often get the least help. And what needs to change.

1. Complex Patients Don’t Fit Into a Single