Bucks County Herald: Health care system depends on women to hold it together

By Jennifer Riley, Patients Come First Pennsylvania Executive Director

During Women’s Health Month in May, we recognize the women who keep families healthy. Women schedule appointments, manage medications, and make healthcare decisions, not just for themselves, but for everyone around them.

But here’s the reality: our healthcare system depends on women to hold it together, while making it harder and more expensive for them to do so.

Women are more likely to manage chronic conditions and serve as the primary coordinators of care, both for themselves and their families. Nearly half of women report having a condition that requires ongoing medical attention, causing women to pay significantly more out-of-pocket than men.

We are also navigating a flood of conflicting health information, from social media to misleading advertisements. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that false information spreads faster and more widely online than the truth, allowing junk science to shape health decisions before patients ever speak with a doctor.

Read the full LTE in Bucks County Herald here.