US health system ranks last compared to other countries: studies

[spinbaby]

Source: Yahoo

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US health care system ranks last among other major rich countries for quality, access and efficiency, according to two studies released Tuesday by a health care think tank.

The studies by the Commonwealth Fund found that the United States, which has the most expensive health system in the world, underperforms consistently relative to other countries and differs most notably in the fact that Americans have no universal health insurance coverage.

"The United States stands out as the only nation in these studies that does not ensure access to health care through universal coverage and promotion of a 'medical home' for patients," said Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis.

"Our failure to ensure health insurance for all and encourage stable, long-term ties between physicians and patients shows in our poor performance on measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and health outcomes."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/ushealthgovernmentpolitics

[bemildred]

1. Corruption will have that effect. nt

[Phredicles]

2. But... but... we have the best health-care system in the world.

The mainstream media are always telling us so.

And the mainstream media don't resemble Pravda at all.:sarcasm:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. Funny that

If not for the media I'd never have known that best was a synonym for most profitable not an antonym for worst. Obviously my education was more lacking than I had realized. :sarcasm:

[rurallib]

3. We're still better than alll them poor counties, By Gawd

Homeless can die in sight of a great hospital in most of our cities.

[Vinca]

12. So can the not so homeless. nt

[alfredo]

4. I'm having to go to the VA, hat in hand in hope of getting some

cheap health care.

[Tesha]

5. Yeah, but how does it rank in *PROFITS FOR THE OWNERS*??? Huh?

'Bet it's not last by *THAT* metric!

Tesha

[RedEarth]

6. We need single-pay heatlh care......

[One_Life_To_Give]

8. Poorly Written

Only serves to reinforce existing positions.
Why try and convince progressives of the need for Universal Care and Conservatives that Socialized medicine is the goal of progressives?

If you want to actually get something done. Talk about stuff even the Cons can understand.
Like the Quality of Care for people "With Insurance"
Like the Cost of Prescriptions
Box out the obvious assumptions people are likely to make in viewing an article.

[july302001]

22. huh?

I thought that the Commonwealth Fund's summary was brief, but rather well-written.

Agreed, it could have given more detail in sub-paragraphs about the quality of care for Medicare and insured patients. However, that's what the links to the .pdf's and chartpack are for.

I'm 43 y.o., in good health but uninsured. There are times when France or the Land Down Under look awfully attractive...before I develop any major problems...

EDIT: HTML

[Az_lefty]

9. Richest Christian nation in the world and we don't take care of our own people?

pretty sad commentary on many different levels.

[indepat]

17. The Amurikkka of today is becoming the Amurikkka the extreme RW and their supporters and

enablers want with 90% or so of the wealth concentrated among a relative few and everything slanted in favor of large corporations rather than we the people.

[Straight Shooter]

10. Britain got the top score in overall ranking among the countries

"The US spends twice what the average industrialized country spends on health care but we're clearly not getting value for the money," Davis told AFP.

She also noted that 45 million Americans, or 15 percent of the US population, have no health insurance, which contributes to the country's medical woes.

The United States is also far behind in adopting modern health information technology, which translates into spiralling costs and poor care.

"We pride ourselves on being advanced on so many areas of technology but it's not the case on health information technology," Davis said. "Other countries have just moved ahead."

[burrowowl]

24. Britain ranked first!?

Then why are the Brits going to France and Germany to get care? Strange!

[lovuian]

11. We pay more than anybody else for crappy care

its a fact
Universal health is a must and its coming cause the whole system is collapsing

when a major disaster hits

the system will crash before your eyes

[depakid]

13. Here's the report and a very telling graphic

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=482678

[spinbaby]

18. Wow, Canada doesn't do very well, either

I always thought their system was a good sight better than ours. Other than offering universal coverage, I guess not.

[LynnTheDem]

14. We're last! We're last! RAH! RAH! RAH!

Freedom of the press? We're #47! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Civil liberties? We're #26! RAH! RAH! RAH!

But for most citizens jailed, we're #1! WOOOHOOOO GAWD BLESS AMERICA!!!

[Screwfly]

15. The quality of health care

in my area is so bad you couldn't pay me to go to the doctor's office. Our only hope is for decent health care is for it to become so automated we can take humans out of the diagnostic/treatment loop.

[BlueIris]

16. Wow, no shit? In other news, Bush is a cokehead.

[moondust]

19. I'll bet it ranks first

in producing profits that end up in the pockets of a relatively small number of people. By a mile.

[Vidar]

20. We're number 1 in something--disability.

[samsingh]

21. wow - unbelievable

and we just spent a trillion $ making war.

[silverojo]

23. So we're dead last? No, duh!

Our country won't cover its citizens, our doctors are incompetent, and our technicians--doubly so. What's not to like? :sarcasm:

[sutz12]

25. That happens when the people making the decisions have good health care..

It always seems to break down to people who have good coverage are bragging about how good the system is. The people without can't be heard.