Health Care Spending High, Quality Low in US, Study Finds
Health care spending in the US is a point of contention, with Americans constantly bickering over the best way to administrate and deliver treatment and care in a highly politically polarized environment.
On one side of the debate are many that feel health care spending should be managed through the government, being as the US stands alone in the first world when it comes to privatizing health care. The other half of Americans prefer a system with third-party health care spending, citing “freedom” and “responsibility” to choose in what they believe is the world’s most envied health care system.
As it would happen, not so much. A new study by health-care think tank The Commonwealth Fund reveals that while many Americans are laboring under the impression that the health care system in the United States is second to none, most Americans actually pay more for and receive less health care than those in comparably wealthy nations.
The fact that health care spending is higher and less efficient in the US is not news, but the Commonwealth Fund’s research underscores some of the numbers when it comes to how badly our system stacks up against other countries in healthcare outcomes. When it comes just to money spent, Americans shell out three times as much as those in Japan and New Zealand for our healthcare, and a third more than those in Norway and Switzerland.
As far as money spent on healthcare, however, the US is number one- while our outcomes fall short, we 17% of our gross national product is devoted to health care spending. A Commonwealth Fund news release explains:
“It is a common assumption that Americans get more health care services than people in other countries, but in fact we do not go to the doctor or the hospital as often. The higher prices we pay for health care and perhaps our greater use of expensive technology are the more likely explanations for high health spending in the U.S. Unfortunately, we do not seem to get better quality for this higher spending.”
The research cites the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, as a way Americans can improve outcomes and reduce health care spending.
Tags : "obamacare", Affordable Care Act, health care spending, health care spending 2012, the commonwealth fund
Posted: May 5, 2012
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May 5, 2012
I choose "freedom" and "responsibility"! I shudder to think of anyone who wouldn't! Don't read anymore, Denise, don't do it….
May 5, 2012
I know a trauma nurse and I asked him what he thought about the health care crisis. He said the U.S. is the only civilized nation without universal health care. He said health care is a right, whether you can afford it or not. Of these countries with universal health care, private insurance was also available for purchase if you want it. Until health insurance companies are held accountable, nothing beneficial will be accomplished. Health insurance companies in other countries have alot of accountablity in order to be paid. Here it is the other way around. As long as insurance is for profit and not accountable to the consumers or providers, insurance companies will hold policy holders hostage for profits.
May 6, 2012
As a RN, I have to agree with Sherry Hanson's post.
May 6, 2012
It's a disgrace how a country so rich could allow the insurance companies to run the show on people's healthcare. We don't have healthcare we just have health insurance. The minute a person runs up too many bills is when the insurance companies either drop them or decide to not cover the procedure someone needs. It's all about actually wanting people to die to save money.
May 6, 2012
The biggest problem is defensive health care,, a battery of test to protect doctors from being sued under a letigation from attourneys who pad the system and ins. companies who cannot sell in certain states. Look at the commercials on tv and when you go to the doctor the many test you have to have. Its gone beyond bizzare when going to the doctor and what they want to do,,, eventhough now they have made beyond money…but so have the attourneys. where is the evenpoint in this….I would have att. quit advertising,, docs quit the testing to cover their ass,,, tort reform,,, allow ins companies compete for companies accross state lines and lower cost for companies and workers….get back to what it was intended for.
May 6, 2012
I work in health care and I agree with sherry post! insurance companies must be held accountable. If you look at all the money spent on health care ( private and federal ) more then 50% goes into insurance companies pockets, that means less money for patents, health care providers and hospital. In the article they state that the reason for the high cost of health care are" expensive test" this is used to shift focus from the real money pits the insurance company that have yet been made accountable.
To fix health care it will take every one involved( insurances, health care providers, patients) to look at there roles adjust there goals and work together for efficient health care system.
May 6, 2012
In this country, either you're rich and don't worry about healthcare costs, or you're destitute in the street- in which case the hospital cant come after you because you have no known address. Anything in between and you're SOL…in another 20 years, this country will have no middle class. Only then will change come about…anyone know anything about the French Revolution? There's only so much people can take…
May 6, 2012
healthcare? more like pillcare.
May 7, 2012
I am an RN also and I agree with Sherry and Shane. Google HR676. It is a single payer health care bill that makes sense. Unfortunately, as long as the big insurance companies have well paid lobbiest, we will never get single payer, universal health care. The billionaire CEOs of the insurance companies will see to that.
May 8, 2012
Single payer works literally everywhere else in the world. It is amazing that America keeps resisting it when no one in their right mind would leave a good single payer system to live in ours.