We know we pay twice as much for health care than any other developed nation, while getting the worst care – but who are the monsters pulling the strings?
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Americans pay twice as much for their health care yet get the worst care of any developed Western nation. And, while other countries guarantee treatment regardless of income, treatment in the U.S. depends on whether you can afford costly health insurance, or have a job that provides it
- Nearly 70% of Americans support a Medicare for all scheme over the current health insurance system and making health care affordable was the second-highest priority of Americans in a 2022 poll. Medicaid will terminate benefits for an estimated 15 million Americans once the public health emergency ends
- One of the reasons why U.S. health care is so exorbitantly expensive is because it’s a conglomerate of monopolies. This results in higher costs while discouraging innovation and efficiency optimization
- Strategies that could lower costs and improve care include leveraging economies of scale, offering hospital services seven days a week, and providing at-home health care services
- Another thing that could go a long way toward improving medical outcomes and lowering patient costs is banning drug ads, especially in electronic health record (EHR) systems and patient portals, as such ads drive up costs and result in poor prescribing decisions that put patients at risk
As noted by The Hill’s anchor Briahna Joy Gray in the video above, Americans pay twice as much for their health care yet get the worst care of any developed Western nation. And, while other countries guarantee treatment regardless of income, treatment in the U.S. depends on whether you can afford costly health insurance, or have a job that provides it.
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