Worst Healthcare in the Industrialized World

Well, it was already obvious to me that health care stinks in the U.S., and now even the corporate media is reporting this fact. A recent article (as well as a report I heard on NPR) describes the latest analysis by the Commonwealth Fund that ranks our country dead last in timely and effective healthcare delivery among 19 industrialized countries studied.

[The study] looked at death rates in subjects younger than 75 that could have been prevented by timely and effective medical care.

The researchers found that while most countries surveyed saw preventable deaths decline by an average of 16 percent, the United States saw only a four percent dip.

The result of this slower improvement is that the U.S. moved from 15th to 19th since 1997-98. Interestingly, the number one country was France, a country derided by conservatives for its socialist leanings. That nation's healthcare system, fully funded by the government and serving citizens and visitors alike, is often noted for its quality of care, efficient administration, and effective public health strategies.

Some might say that as long as we're improving here in the U.S., what's the problem? The problem is that we're improving from a pretty dismal low point. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people die unnecessarily in our health care system is inexcusable. Yet this is a little-reported aspect of our healthcare crisis. Journalists, polititians, and even educated liberal activists typically have the financial resources to avoid situations of marginal care, and family and friends with the ability to advocate for them if they do wind up in such a situation.

But there are many without those resources, and it's this demographic that fuels our high mortality statistics. Our two-tier system--good insurance for some, little or no coverage for others--creates the situation of uneven care that we see today. It also increases costs for everyone.

"It is notable that all countries have improved substantially except the US," said Ellen Nolte, lead author of the study.

Had the United States performed as well as any of the top three industrialized countries, there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths per year, the researchers said.

Our country needs universal care. The most efficient and effective delivery system for such care is a single-payer government system, which is politically untenable. The major Democratic presidential candidates have decent proposals--not as good as single payer, but better than nothing.

And one more thing--don't let the AMA get too involved in writing the rules. Alternative care must be a big part of improved health in this country. The M.D. no longer has the godlike status of a generation ago. The best care is a balanced approach--compassionate, spiritual, scientific, and holistic.