Yes, it is true that the US has the 37th best health care system in the world, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Fortunately for the ego of the United States, the WHO stopped doing the ranking in 2000 due to the difficulty of compiling the data.
The top ten are France, Italy, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, SIngapore, Spain, Oman, Austria, and Japan.
11-20 are Norway, Portugal, Monaco, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Switzerland.
21-30 are Belgium, Columbia, Sweden, Cyprus, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Morocco, and Canada.
31-40 are Finland, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Dominica, Costa Rica, United States of America, Slovenia, Cuba and Brunei.
41-50 are New Zealand, Bahrain, Croatia, Qatar, Kuwait, Barbados, Thailand, Czech Repubic, Malaysia, and Poland
Although our health care system is the ranked behind nearly every other industrialized country, the US can proudly boast that we pay more, a LOT more, than anyone else for our care. Not only does the United States spend more than $1 trillion more per year than anyone else on the planet, we also pay more, a lot more, per capita for our health care.
The World Health Organization says, “The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance.” This puts to rest the tired notion that the American “free market” pushes for the most efficient and least expensive system. In fact, we are the least efficient healthcare in the industrialized world.
The graphs from the Kaiser Family Foundation represents expenditures from the latest worldwide data, from 2003, when we were spending a mere $5,711 dollars a year per person for our health care. That number is now nearly $8,000 a year. Our health care costs, as a percentage of our Gross Domestic Product, have gone from 7% in 1970 to 15.2% in 2003. President Obama, in numerous speeches, points out that at current growth rates the cost of our health care will be 20% of our GDP by 2015.
Only one other country, Switzerland, pays as much as 11% of their GDP for their health care. Two out of three pay less than 10%. Most of the advanced nations in the world see health care as a right, and to quote the well known credit card commercial, “priceless.” In the United States, however, health care is NOT a right, and it does have a price, and a very high price indeed.
For all the money we spend, it would be nice if the health of Americans reflected that expenditure. But are we the healthiest country in the world? No, but we are the fattest. More than 30% of the adult population in the US is now considered medically obese. That 30% more than doubles the rate of most European countries, and triples the rates in France and Denmark.
The health care industry is going to spend billions of dollars to defeat health care reform. Thousands of “Health Scare” stories will be published in our newspapers and magazines. Millionaire lobbyists in high priced suits will be paying lots of visits to your elected officials. Advertisements will be all over the television, radio, and the internet. All of the effort will be made to convince the American public and their elected representatives that reforming health care would be too costly. And it would be too costly… to the health care industry.
The reason the folks in the health care industry are going to spend billions to defeat health care reform is because it works. Time and time again, the best interests of 300 million Americans have been pushed aside for the welfare of the very few. One of the leaders of the fight against reform is Rick Scott. He founded a group called "Conservatives for Patient's Rights," whose motto is "Tell Congress to listen, too."
It's interesting that Scott is promoting patient's rights since he was forced out as head of the Columbia/HCA health care company after the company was found guilty of fraudulent billing of state and federal health plans. Columbia/HCA was fined a record $1.7 billion for their infraction.
That’s because the health care industry believes that they have a “right” to your money. And they believe that they have the “right” to deny you health care if it gets too expensive. The insurance companies don’t want to compete with the government but are adamant that they be “free” to deny coverage to whomever they choose. Medical care, especially in our overpriced system, can be a serious hindrance to profits. That's why they like to dump high cost patients onto the government and US citizens who pay with their taxes.
Americans have long held the attitude that, as Americans, we have “rights.” These “rights” set us apart from much of the world. However, much of the world has caught up and even passed us by recognizing that health care is a basic human right, and not a commodity. If that doesn’t make you think, try this: Failure to fix the health care system will bankrupt this country.
You might also enjoy these:
Comments
Another fine look at an important topic, Mark! Wondering why it is we can buy the same meds in Canada and or Mexico for a fraction of the cost we pay here, especially when they are made by the same ---- manufacturer!
Lies, damn lies, and statistics. --- Twain
"Health Care" is in need of "reform" the same way the lives of 300 million people in this vast nation of unprecedented wealth and individual freedom are in need of "reform." Which is to say: The "health care crisis" is just a symptom of a cultural moral malaise. But no well intentioned, (at best,) nanny state can fix this problem. Truth: If we,as individuals, will not be self governing, we will be governed by tyrants. And WHO, I wonder how many world citizens are traveling to San Marino for their medical care. 37th?, don't believe the hype.
Dear Herbert and for the information of the readers,
The term "moral malaise" is the current political catch-phrase of Europe's Christian Party and the Christian Peoples Alliance, intended to swing votes toward their choice of candidates in the Parliamentary elections in the European Union, according to the BBC.
It is interesting to note that all of those countries have Universal Health Care for a lot less money than what we spend here in the United States, where nearly 50 million people have no health care. Not just total cost, but per capita cost as well.
Maybe in Europe they have figured out that the right to health care is the "Christian" or moral thing to do. Whatever the reason, they have figured out how to do it better for a lot less money.
And, of course, "Nanny State" is meant to scare us into keeping government out of the ultra-profitable health care industry.
If they had done a better job without so much greed, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Everyone talks about the wonderful universal health care available in the other industrialized countries but no one mentions the cost in taxes. I just spend 3 months in Denmark. Everything there is paid for, health care, education and retirement. The family I was living with also showed me that they pay 62% in income taxes. Has anyone thought about how all this universal everything would be paid for? Maybe universal health care is great BUT are American willing to pay for it, really pay for it, just like the other industrialized nations? I wonder?
Dear Maureen,
The article is not meant to defend the tax policies of other countries. What it does do is show how much other countries pay for their health care. Denmark's health care system is rated only slightly ahead of the one here in the United States. But, their system is better while paying less than HALF what we do. The point of the article is not that our medicine is bad, but that the cost is extraordinarily high. As Americans, most of us would not even mind the cost (whether that came from taxes or insurance premiums) if the care was excellent. Unfortunately, almost 50 million Americans have no health insurance. That means a trip to the emergency room at taxpayer expense when somebody gets hurt or sick. Health care for all Americans is cheaper than the current system. Unfortunately, too much money is being spent to make sure the health care "industry" remains one of the most lucrative businesses in America.
Be in good health.
Mark
I am wondering what kind of health insurance Herbert has and how much he pays for it? If you are happy with the health care you have now, you can keep it...no one is going to make you change! The fact is that there are millions who have no health care. I hope President Obama will keep pushing Congress for reform and affordable health care for all. We need to inform our elected officials that were elected to be represent us instead of the insurance and drug companies.
Patent monopoly grants mean america has the opposite of a free market. Abolish patents if you want the american healthcare system to improve.
We don't get breaks in california or anywhere elsein America,only the Rich do,even when they go into department stores they used to get free things that costs about 300 to 500 not the every day worker or the retirees they get shafted.We don't see how this thing will fly. Right now Obama has let so many illegals in our state about 12million maybe more by now,these people have drained our system dry and no politican admitts to that and No Health care system will be able to cover the American Citizens if he keeps letting them come in at their conveinace and no background checks at all no speaking Englishno and were speaking money every day to print their language in and on all things. We don't mind helping people in a diaster but just because theobama's wantus to continue to pay for them in every way. So that is why this health care won't work,too many coming here and no job's.So higher taxes for even the under 250,000 we will be screwed.obamaandrelitives keep spending willall bein debit
STAGGERING IGNORANCE. The WHO statistics are based on which countries has the best "insurance", i.e., socialist health care gets the highset ranking because technically everyone has insurance. it does not evaluate what it provides or the quality of care, which is dismal. Lotteries for physician care, life threatening conditions being labeled by "medicrats' as elective surgery. The officials of all the countries you list come to the U.S. for their care, and it is well-documented. But then again, your ideology is more important than the truth, isn't it?
National Health Care Vs. Private Insurance. OK ... the Sound is becoming shrill.
How about this: NO MATTER WHAT ... OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL BE BOUND TO BE INCLUDED IN WHATEVER IS PASSED.
Now, I feel better about the debate ...
Dear "the truth" --
Sometimes I wish that "staggering ignorance" was behind comments like yours, because ignorance can be cured by education. Propaganda supporting the current health care insurance system is only meant to keep Americans paying double the going world rate for a system that is mediocre at best when compared to other modern countries.
The FACT that our system is 37th is the good news. Life expectancy for Americans is 50th when compared to the rest of the world!
The fact that our system is profit based is partly why our system costs so much. Health insurance executives that earn more than $5000.00 an hour have no interest in changing the current system, because that would mean less money in their pockets.
So the strategy of those making so much money off the current system is to spread lies in order to scare people into not changing anything. Lies like "medicrats" denying coverage. As we all know, the insurance companies believe it THEIR right to deny coverage.
This article is based on a fundamental LIE. The WHO does NOT rank the US as the 37th best in the world.
Anyone who actually read the WHO report would discover that the US is ranked 15th.
The 37th position ranking was not a side by side ranking of the health care system, but rather how well the US did versus what the WHO felt the US had a POTENTIAL of achieving...
In other words, they ranked the US against *their* "vision" of what the US *should* be (socialist).
It would be like me judging the author of this ill informed article NOT on the basis of what he has accomplished as an author... but on how well he lived up to his "true potential" as an author.
Of course, that is BS. It is subjective... and since, as the author of the critique, *I* would get to decide what Mr. Rubi's true potential would be.
I have decided that Mr. Rubi has fallen FAR FAR short of his potential, so I rank him dead last as an author.
See how it works?
Now, how do you all like being lied
And the other lie is that the US *has* a healthcare system. That is not true.
If it were true, one would be able to answer a few simple questions:
What is the name of the system?
Where is the headquarters?
Who is the administrator?
How do I contact someone for customer service?
The fact that these questions don't even BEGIN to have an answer, tells you how large a lie the entire notion of "healthcare system" is.
Something that does not exist, can not be "broken".
Do we have a national automobile repair system?
No. Of course not... yet similarly to medicine, our car "healthcare" is generally covered by insurance... we pay for the small stuff, and insurance takes care of the big stuff.
But in the US, we are experts on BOTH a free market healthcare, AND a socialized system, as government is about half of the total picture.
What we KNOW for FACT is that the government systems are in critical condition... taking on water, and sinking like the Titanic... totally u
I think people are confusing our ranking as 37th with the quality of the medical services being provided. The WHO isn't saying we aren't cutting edge, they are doing their study on how many people benefit, the cost, and the quality of the system as a whole. Sure we have top notch surgeons and break through medicines ;however, the price is the killer and that is the true purpose of medicine. Its not supposed to be a business, its supposed to be for the benefit of the people. In this country it is a burden.
Dear Mark,
Thanks for the column and your patient responses. In case you haven't yet encountered these resources, I'd encourage you to see/listen to them. I found them very educational.
"Sick Around the World", a show on PBS.
The last few Bill Moyers shows, especially his interview with Wendell Potter, the insurance company whistleblower, who reveals the ugly truths about the industry.
Almost anything by Marcia Angell or Uwe Reinhardt (Reinhardt is possibly the US's top health care economist)
On NPR look for: Uwe Reinhardt: Hidden Costs of Health Care
The best education I've ever gotten on universal health care was this panel discussion: Access to Universal Health Care: New Jersey, The Nation and The Globe
I'd paste links, but the examiner doesn't allow it.
Peace,
E
I pay $1000 for health care and $6000 out of pocket before my insurance kicks in ($18,000 per year just in case i get sick). Problem is I can't afford to go to the doctor? Something wrong with this picture. When i finally went to the doctor and found a blood disorder---my insurance dropped me! This is a classic example of having Wall Street between you and your doctor. We can afford to spend 13 trillion on the moon studies and billions a month on a war that was started with a lie...how's the moon study workin for ya? NOT! Of course we can afford health care!! Our country is broke---DUE TO WALL STREET AND WALL STREET CONTROLS THE INSURANCE COMPANIES...... wake up....so many stupid americans...the rest of the world is laughing at you....and stop getting all your news from tV....read....study and learn the facts
dear "the truth" - I admit I haven't read all the comments so I might be repeating. But if someone who works 40 hours a week with a secondary job cannot afford to go to the doctor for a simple check up then it is a moot point as to the quality of healthcare. Quality becomes unimportant when cost is prohibitive to the point that I couldn't even tell you if my doctor is a good one or not cause I haven't seen her in over a year. And I am a lucky person. While there are no death panels...I'd rather have them and know when I am fired I'm covered than live in constant fear/debt to my health insurer.
Think America!How do countries get into their situations?Do you think it's the regular working people that get us there or do you think it's the people that run the countries?
To the disinformation czar. YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT THROUGH TAX'S STARTING AT AROUND 50 to 60%. You need to do the research, the WHO ranks counties higher that have the so called FREE (BUT TAX PAID) care. The U.S. is ranked number one in quality, and wow, you don't have to wait 6 months to see a doctor. Wonder why they come here when they have a serious condition, could it be we are number 1 in the world. You can, RIGHT NOW, go to a hospital and receive care and can not be turned away with a serious condition, try that in a socialized medicine country, I know people in one of those counties, and they tuly envy us. Congressional laws have put out guidelines and restrictions that insurance companies HAVE to follow, this is the root of our problem, LIFT THE guidelines and create real competition across state lines. MED'S Where is the money to come from if you take away the profits for research? We are doing the research to save lives around the world.
"truth's" staggering ignorance is his own providing a plethora of generalizations and no FACTS. To decry the fact that we have to pay for care with higher taxes is like saying there is no such thing as a free lunch. Get in the "soup line" at the Forum in Los Angeles and waer the sidewalk with your teas. To suggest that one insurance CEO getting paid $107,000 is just betrays our skewed prerogatives and massive greed at the misfortune of others. C'mon you healthy folks making big bucks can get apoplectic but the truth is plain to see. Healthcare is a right not a privilege and your good fortune does not justify your specious rationalization for your smugness. By any measure, the majority if US citizens are not only dissatisfied but suffeing both physically but financially. It's a for-profit system that has me breaking my pills in half.
Insurance, Pharmaceutical companies and hospitals tout their redemptive values seldom emphasizing the health of our citizens.
Physicians should not be penalized for ordering flu vaccines in his or her office the Government should stay out of our healthcare and out of the flu vaccine distributions. We do not need a world order. Say no to Socialized Medicine!! The is nothing wrong with our healthcare the United States has the best healthcare in the world. Leave our healthcare system along!
We need trout reforms so that limit of damage how physicians are sued each years in this country. It should be a capped how purnity damages on physicians who he or she is sued each year in this Country. The flu vaccines should not be out source to other Countries such as Liverpool, England for chap labor we can avoid massive flu vaccines shortage can be ad vided such as H1N1 that is killing our young people and elders in these Countries stop the ballots of big corporations in this Country.
It’s time to bring back the flu vaccines manufacture back to the United States no more out sourcing our flu vaccines to other
Dear Jocelyn Gallant,
Nowhere in this article, or any article that I have written, does it say that doctors should be penalized for ordering flu vaccines for their patients. However, like many people nationwide, I was shocked that Wall Street titans like Citigroup were getting flu vaccine distributed to them BEFORE hospitals.
As for TORT (not TROUT) reform, be serious. The amount of money used up by lawsuits against doctors and hospitals is less than 1% (one percent) of the cost of healthcare in the US. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Americans die each year due to mistakes by doctors and hospitals, a statistic the president mentioned in his speech to the AMA earlier this year.
Flu vaccine is manufactured in many places around the world. Do you really think the US is the only country to have caught on to this?
Too many other typos to get into, but I hope you get the point.
Be in good health, lest you find out how fragile your insurance might be.
Mark Rubi
Excellent. On the verge of historic legislation...I tweeted and FaceBooked your article. We DO have excellent healthcare...but it has been slipping away for several years and Americans need to wake up and realise what has been going on. Soon, we won't have enough family doctors to provide health care for our growing and aging population; because they aren't paid enough and the insurance companies dictate their every move. Our system is broken. It's sad; but I hope we are on our way to improving it.
The HCR is not perfect and needs fine tuning; but we cannot continue on the slope that we have been sliding down. The only ones profiting off the current system are the fat cats in the insurance industry and those whose pockets they line. TORT reform is also needed. Change is long overdue.
Excellent. On the verge of historic legislation...I tweeted and FaceBooked your article. We DO have excellent healthcare...but it has been slipping away for several years and Americans need to wake up and realise what has been going on. Soon, we won't have enough family doctors to provide health care for our growing and aging population; because they aren't paid enough and the insurance companies dictate their every move. Our system is broken. It's sad; but I hope we are on our way to improving it.
The HCR is not perfect and needs fine tuning; but we cannot continue on the slope that we have been sliding down. The only ones profiting off the current system are the fat cats in the insurance industry and those whose pockets they line. TORT reform is also needed. Change is long overdue.
Mark, you claim, "Unfortunately, almost 50 million Americans have no health insurance. That means a trip to the emergency room at taxpayer expense when somebody gets hurt or sick."
I'm a Dem and I support what Obama's trying to do to fix/save our Medicare system and get costs under control, but making silly inflammatory statements don't help.
While there may be 50 million Americans without health insurance, you cannot make a straight line assumption that means they'll all go to the emergency room. Many of those 50 million are healthy individuals that choose not to pay for insurance and instead opt to either create a health savings account or just pay for any needed expenses.
One of the reasons to get everyone paying premiums is to collect from the healthy people who opt out of having health insurance. If only the sickly have insurance, premiums go sky high to cover the undiluted costs.
Me thinks the Dems would do better off explaining the actual truths. After all, we are smarter than the Reps and can be counted on to make the correct informed decisions.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!