Being a patient is getting harder in a strained and complex US health care system
By TOM MURPHY
AP Health Writer
Health care delivery experts say patients in the U.S. need more help dealing with a system that is growing increasingly complex. They say growing insurance complications, doctor and drug shortages and a lack of communication all make life harder for anyone dealing with a serious or chronic illness. Outside care, help with the rent or utility bills also may be harder for patients to find. More care providers and employers are offering help guiding people through care, a practice the federal Medicare program has started to cover. But that assistance has limits.
