Americans who become seriouslyill often feel confused and helpless, experience major problemswith their care or, even if they have health insurance, face therisk of financial ruin. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Lots of Americans who can least afford the additional stress are being left in the dirt bythe U.S. health care system, says a new joint study from the Commonwealth Fund, The NewYork Times and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The goal of the report “is to understand whether our health caresystem is doing all it can do not just to treat illness but to helppeople cope with illness.” Exploring such areas as where the systemfails to meet people's needs, how it's “adding to already heavy burdens” and whether the mostseriously ill can even afford the care provided by the healthsystem, the study found plenty of room for improvement.

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Marlene Satter

Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.