Friday, May 05, 2006
US helath care: past time for a change?
A new report in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association finds “middle-aged white Americans are much sicker than their counterparts in Britain.” For example, Americans have a much higher rate of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, lung disease, and cancer. The gap between Americans and the British are seen regardless of education and economic status.
The results are particularly discouraging, considering the United States spends roughly twice as much ($5,200 / person) on health care per capita than the British.
In a piece of good health news, the annual number of deaths in the United States has dropped by 2% in 2004. But, as MVP’s resident Debbie Downer, I should note this: though the U.S. life expectancy is at a record high, it’s still behind that of about two dozen other countries.
England and every other industrialized country in the world (US not included) have some sort of universal health care system. And the United States lags behind those countries in not only life expectancy, but also patient care: For example, in 2004 the Commonwealth Fund survived six industrialized countries, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and US and found the US ranked last on:
The results are particularly discouraging, considering the United States spends roughly twice as much ($5,200 / person) on health care per capita than the British.
In a piece of good health news, the annual number of deaths in the United States has dropped by 2% in 2004. But, as MVP’s resident Debbie Downer, I should note this: though the U.S. life expectancy is at a record high, it’s still behind that of about two dozen other countries.
England and every other industrialized country in the world (US not included) have some sort of universal health care system. And the United States lags behind those countries in not only life expectancy, but also patient care: For example, in 2004 the Commonwealth Fund survived six industrialized countries, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and US and found the US ranked last on:
- Patients experiencing a lab test error, including wrong tests or delays in being notified about abnormal test results.
- Patients leaving a doctor’s office without getting important questions answered.
- Patients getting care on nights and weekends.
- Number of patients who have to go to the emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor.
- Differences between below- and above-average income patients not filling prescriptions or skipping doses due to cost.
