The Connection

A roundup of recent Fund publications, charts, multimedia, and other timely content.

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April 21, 2025

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Older Adults with Mental Health Concerns Not Seeking Care

As people age, physical frailty, cognitive decline, grief, and loneliness can take a toll on mental health. But many older adults with mental health issues aren’t receiving treatment, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey of adults age 65 and older in 10 countries. On To the Point, Fund researchers write that most older adults with mental health care issues don’t seek care from a professional either because they don’t want to or don’t believe they need to.

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States Using Hospital Price Caps Save Millions

Rising health care costs compromise patients’ access to care, burden small businesses, and squeeze state budgets. Some states are now taking action to address affordability concerns, with a focus on reining in hospital prices. On To the Point, researchers Alyssa Vangeli and January Angeles discuss how some states are capping prices by limiting them to a percentage of Medicare rates. Oregon is one success story: after setting price caps for state and public school employees, the state saved $107.5 million in just over two years.

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FEATURED CHART

How Well Does the U.S. Care for Older Adults?

Most older adults in the United States get their health care through Medicare. How do their care experiences compare with those of their peers in other countries? A Commonwealth Fund study examining care for older adults across 10 countries finds the U.S. excelling in some areas but lagging in others. Most U.S. Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older reported they are satisfied with their care, but only about half of them said it’s easy to get treatment off hours, compared to three-quarters of older adults in the Netherlands.

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How Taiwan Does Universal Health Care

The United States spends nearly 17 percent of its GDP on health care, yet Americans live shorter, less-healthy lives than people in other high-income nations. Taiwan, on the other hand, spends about 6.5 percent of its GDP and covers nearly all residents under its National Health Insurance system. In International Insights, Munira Gunja reports how Taiwan overhauled its health system 30 years ago to achieve near-universal coverage. She points to lessons the U.S. can learn in efforts to increase insurance coverage and contain costs here.

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Betancourt Named to Influential Leaders List

STAT’s “2025 STATUS List” features 50 influential people shaping the future of health and life sciences across academia, business, government, medicine, nonprofit, and philanthropy. Named to the wide-ranging list this year was Commonwealth Fund President Joseph R. Betancourt, M.D. Jaewon Ryu, M.D., CEO of Risant Health and member of the Commonwealth Fund’s board of directors, was also named to the list. According to STAT, these 50 people are worth their readers’ attention in the year ahead.

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New York Makes Headway in Hepatitis C Treatment

Injection drug use drives almost 80 percent of all new hepatitis C (HCV) cases in high-income countries. Writing in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Ane-Kristine Finbråten, M.D., and colleagues describe how New York State’s deployment of the “low-threshold” care model successfully engaged vulnerable populations in seeking HCV treatment. Low-threshold care offers services without attempting to control patients’ intake of drugs and provides counseling only if requested. The authors note, however, that patients’ unmet social needs create challenges to this approach. Finbråten is a 2021–22 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice.

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Recruiting Clinicians in Rural Communities

New England Public Radio recently reported on how the expansion of concierge practices in rural markets ([link removed] ) is restricting access to primary care services and exacerbating workforce shortages. Learn about the strategies rural communities have used to recruit and retain new clinicians ([link removed] ) , including creating time in physicians’ schedules to pursue personal and professional development.

Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.

The Commonwealth Fund, 1 East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021

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