Japan – better outcomes with older people at half the cost

[Recursion]

From The Incidental Economist:

Don’t let anyone assert (without data) that the aging US population is to blame for our high health care costs. Look at Japan. Despite one of the oldest population in the OECD and health expenditures half the US amount, Japan enjoys much longer longevity. Some data from today’s Lancet is in Table 1 at the bottom of this post, but for a more comprehensive approach, see Aaron’s 10-part, must-read cost series using the same OECD dataset. (See also his comparative quality series).

...

(quote)
During the past three decades, Japan’s health-care system has effectively managed to contain costs despite many factors that are typically associated with high costs: a private-sector dominated delivery system, payment by fee-for-service, and no gatekeeper function by family doctors.

...

The authors conclude with a heretical thought for doctors and hospitals — perhaps the medical care system doesn’t have much to do with population health:
"One answer might be that the structure and process aspects of quality of care are not that important for outcomes."

Very interesting post

[dkf]

1. They should compare that to the elderly Japanese in Hawaii

Lots of pretty old Japanese people here.

[phantom power]

2. We can't allow data to get in the way of stroking our egos with American Exceptionalism.

Why do you hate America(n exceptionalism)?

[patrice]

3. K & FRAKKING! R!!

[enid602]

4. Japan

That's because Japan (and most other sane countries) a)is able to negotiate prices of drugs with Big Pharma b)doesn't have to deal with exorbitant malpractice insurance costs and c)doesn't coddle their insurance companies by protecting them from interstate competition. Yet anyone in the US (whether it's Obama or McCain) who fights against this reality quickly feels the wrath of lobbyists.

[RC]

5. I thought this would be a thread about actually charging old people what the procedures really cost.

They'd save 90% or more in some cases.

[patrice]

6. It would be good to see things such as staffing ratios & direct care time per care receiver, also...

How many, what kinds, and types of medications?

Also, "alternative" treatments and therapeutic regimens?

[eridani]

7. The Japanese government dictates insurance costs and medical prices

In 2008, a hospital room was still $20/night. Japanese engineers developed a less feature-loaded and very cheap MRI system because the government set the price of an MRI scan low.