As presented in the 2010 version of the annual Commonwealth Fund comparison of the U.S. health system with those in other industrialized nations, United States once again comes out on the bottom as far as healthcare issues go.
The United States ranked last in comparison with Australia, the Netherlands,Canada, New Zealand, Germany and the United Kingdom. In my mind this is clear evidence that a country who claims to be the only superpower in the world and spends more than half of its budget on defense is doing absolutely very little for its own people.
At $7,290 in annual spending per person in 2007, the U.S. also dwarfed second-place Canada at $3,895 and third-place Netherlands at $3,837. Out of the above countries, infant mortality was the highest in the United States, with Germany and the Netherlands being the best places to be born.
As for access to healthcare the United States tied for last place with Australia. This included late-night care, getting prescriptions filled, and worry that the patients did not have the money to pay for prescriptions. The one area that the United States did excel in as far as access goes, was getting to see a specialist in under four weeks. I’m glad that many people can see a specialist in four weeks, a year ago I had to see a specialist because my doctor had concerns that I may have cancer. The entire ordeal took almost 3 months, from the time that I requested an appointment with my doctor to finally getting the tests and seeing a specialist to diagnose the results. I can’t say that I’m glad that I didn’t have cancer and that it didn’t have three months to grow.
As far as quality care went, the United States ranked four out of six in receiving effective care and in patient centered care. In the safety care category we ranked seventh and in the coordinated care we ranked sixth. The United States did right forth in reporting getting infections in the hospitals. Which is better than seventh which is where New Zealand ended up. Major concerns in safety were receiving the wrong medicines, the wrong diagnosis and too much time relaxing between notification of abnormal test results.
There is a section known as equity. The United States placed dead here for various reasons. many people not seen the doctor’s or dentist because they could not afford it,and having to wait too long to get an appointment.
There are other categories that the viewer may read for himself but each time the result is pretty much the same. I think that Europe is so much further ahead of us in the lack of greed and not doing things because of the cost. There has to come a time when needs and requirements overcome the cost. And what is more important on this entire earth then your health? the United States seems to want to prove that you are here simply for people who have money and to make stockholders rich. If the United States considers itself to be a Christian nation than the reverse should be true.
I consider myself lucky as I have an incredible Dr. who comes from Argentina. He is very intuitive and always listens to me. As I now have no insurance he has worked with me on the cost of coming to see him and getting the deep discounts at my local pharmacy for generic drugs. I usually don’t have to wait too long for appointment with him, however a few schedules me for a specialist I am at that specialist’s mercy as far as getting an appointment and how long I have to wait for it.
It’s time for America to come up in the civilized world. The civilized world doesn’t concentrate on war nor spend its money on wars. Its people are the only golden property that are its highest priority. the healthcare bill that was passed may not be the best, but it is a start to becoming civilized.
All figures and facts from here
And here: Commonwealth Fund comparison
