US trails developed democracies in healthcare costs for older adults

Report comparing 10 peer countries shows how holes in Medicare coverage lead to Americans skipping care

Older Americans spend more on healthcare than peers in 10 other developed democracies, a new Commonwealth Fund report found.

The new report highlights how Medicare, the public health insurance program for people older than 65 and people who are disabled, has significant cost-sharing requirements - including co-pays, deductibles and no ceiling on out-of-pocket costs.