This week my posts will address some of the ways that medical gaslighting and dismissal of women is both expensive and dangerous.
Women in the U.S. spend $15B more *annually* on healthcare than men, have more medical visits and $8.8B more prescription drug costs than men. In addition to more visits and delayed diagnoses, women’s health issues are compounded by seeking second opinions, finding specialists, and managing untreated conditions. Women are paying more because they are believed less, and therefore not getting the care they need.
This shows up as $65B in lost earnings for women, and lost earnings for their employers as well.
The good news is that there is growing awareness about the systemic issues that women face. We’re seeing some new care delivery frameworks, efforts to revisit clinician training, and of course value-based care models that focus on patient outcomes – but the burden still largely falls on women to demand better care.
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