Some argue that healthcare is a consumer product best delivered by commercial providers in an open market. We have that now, and it’s always been like that. So, why are the results so pitifully poor?
This article titled “America’s broken healthcare system – in one simple chart” was written by Mona Chalabi, for theguardian.com on Sunday 2nd July 2017 11.00 UTCHealthcare in America is more expensive than in any other rich country. In 2016, the average American spent ,571 on their health – a figure five times higher than the average out-of-pocket spending of other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
That fact hasn’t changed much over the years: compared to 35 other countries, Americans have spent more on their health every year since 2000. Even once you factor in government spending, healthcare in the US is still more expensive than elsewhere. Total health spending last year, including private out-of-pocket and government spending, was ,985 per person in the US while the OECD average was just ,633.
And yet all that health spending hasn’t resulted in better health. The life expectancy of the average American is 78.8 years, putting the US a fraction ahead of the Czech Republic, where out of pocket spending was just 6 last year.
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This chart doesn’t present the declining quality of life in the U.S. either. Rapid increases in chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension are not only driving longevity down, but sentencing millions to painful and immobile later years. Our commercial health system delivers drugs to manage, but offers nothing to fix.
After World War II companies needed a way to lure workers into various companies and started using employee benefits as a way to influence their choice of a company to work for. Thus began this system of health insurance tied to employment. We are the ONLY country that has tied health care to employment. Many find they have to work longer or stay with a company not to their liking because they need the health insurance and cannot forfeit that benefit due to the high cost of individual medical insurance. We would be so much better with a single payer system that is NOT tied to employment.