Measuring the U.S. Health Care System
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) reports and tracks over 1200 health systems annually (Alexander, 2010). Moreover, the organization assesses approximately 30 industrialized countries. The OECD collects data ranging from the citizens’ health status to almost all non-medical determinants of health care utilization and resources. For instance, according to the OECD analysis of 2008, the United States differs markedly from the rest of the OECD countries, mainly on several features that measure the performance of health systems. Some of the factors include the United States has a relatively low quantity of beds in hospitals and general practitioner per capita (Alexander,
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Spending Among Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development
In 1998, the Commonwealth Fund started supporting an analysis that deals with cross-national health structures. The study was based on the OECD health care statistics and aimed at placing the USA health system performance in a global context to derive reliable lessons for the policymakers and leaders in the nation’s health care department to follow (Schiff, 2010). For example, the OECD results of 2006 indicated that, based on both the percentage of GDP and per capita ratio, the U.S health care department utilized more funds/resources compared to those in the majority of the industrialized countries. Moreover, an OECD analysis of 2002/03 indicated that the U.S.A had the peak mortality rate when compared to other nineteen OECD member nations (Schiff, 2010).
The United States spends extremely highly on health care compared to the rest of the OECD members. For instance, the U.S. health care system spending per capita in 2006 was $6,714; the cost was over double the mean per capita spending of the OECD 30 industrialized countries, which was $2,880 (Anderson & Squires, 2010). Additionally, the U.S. health care system spending per capita was 50% higher compared to that of Norway; in 2006, Norway spent $4,520 (Anderson & Squires, 2010). Second, the health care expenditure in the USA in 2006 comprised of 15.3% of GDP, whereas in other OECD nations, it was largely less than ten percent and did not exceed
In “Is US Health Really the Best in The World?”, Barbara Starfield (M.D.) discusses health indicators that result in the poor performance of the U.S. health care. Starting by covering th mortality rates from neonatal to elderly ages. Establishing that a strong primary care infrastructure, where there is access to care, includes universal health insurance, and delivers efficient care, associates to better health ranking. Explaining how the U.S. neglects to take these factors in to consideration, averaging to almost 225,000 deaths per year, because of iatrogenic damage. She also mentions income inequality as being another indicator, socioeconomic status, with the way the health system works, leading to inadequate care or failure to recognize
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.” (WHO, 2000, p. 1) Progression in the United States has not kept up with the advances in other wealthy nations dealing with the population health. Disease and chronic disability report almost 50% of America health problem (JAMA, 2013).
The United States spend entirely to much money on health care compared to other industrialized countries. Yet, other countries achieved far better health for more people at less cost, according to OECA. Of the 34 countries rated by the OECD study, the United States ranks #1 in health care spending per capita and #1 in percentage
According to the Garber & Skinner (2008), the United States spends more on health care than other nations but continues to score below other nations in numerous areas of measurement. These scores in, consideration with amount spent, suggest that healthcare is the United States is inefficient. Additionally, the United States has a significantly large portion of under
What does America have to show for all the money it is spending on health care? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to speculate that the U. S. would have the lowest infant mortality, the highest life expectancy, and the most efficient health care in the world. Unfortunately, however, that is not the case. The United States according to the same article, ranks 46th out of 48th in health care efficiency, Serbia and Brazil are the only two ranking lower. Infant mortality and life expectancy in the United States rank 167thand 44th out of 224 respectivelyaccording to the CIA World Factbook (2015). Additionally, approximately 15 percent of people in the U.S. are still uninsured. The return on investment in health care needs to have better results; a system that provides the highest quality care that leaves no one out.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), health care spending in the United States has grown at a rate of 3.7 percent since 2012 to $2.8 trillion, costing the U.S. 17.9 percent of total its GDP and ranking it number one spending on health care (Martin et al 67; world bank). Despite having the most expensive healthcare per capita, according to The Commonwealth Fund - a private American foundation dedicated to the promotion of a high performance healthcare system - the U.S. ranks at the bottom of the top ten wealthiest nations in terms of “access, efficiency, and equity” (Davis
First of all, a study has shown that Americans have a lower life expectancy rate than those living in countries that have universal health care, even though the United States pay more for health care (Mahon, Weymouth, “U.S. Spends Far”). According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, in 2009, the U.S. spent about 8,000 dollars per capita on health care (Mahon, Weymouth, “U.S. Spends Far”). Other countries, like Japan and New Zealand, spent one-third as much, or like Norway and Switzerland, spent two-thirds as much. A separate study by Global Research has shown that in 2007, among seventeen countries examined, U.S. ranked dead last in life expectancy for males (seventy-five years) and second to last for females (eighty years) (Randall, “U.S. Life Expectancy”). The same study shows that women in Japan, a
According to data presented by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the US health care cost exceeded $ 8,000 per capita, in 2010, comparing to the next most expensive system (Norway) $5,000 per capita (OECD Health Data, 2012). Despite being the most expensive system in the word, US healthcare system has failed on many areas of performance and quality. According to OECD data, US has much lower life expectancy than other industrialized countries, also the infant mortality rate is higher than those countries. Moreover, the US is the only industrialized country that does not provide its citizens a protection of a universal health care coverage.
Adequate measurements surrounding changes to the U.S. Healthcare system, shaped by the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) are not yet available. One of the goals through this policy is to insure all Americans, helping to reduce the rising costs in our healthcare system. The U.S. has been unable to present results that have been directly tied to this law, specifically regarding health care spending. In review of publications by The Commonwealth Fund (2010) discussing cross-national comparisons of health care systems of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), pertaining to data from 2006, it is notable that of 30 industrialized counties measured, the U.S. health care spending was
The United States healthcare system has been the topic of much debate lately, with many propositions and reforms introduced to the public to remedy the many complaints made against the current system. The U.S. spend entirely too much money on health care. Based on data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), the "U.S. spent more on health care per capita ($4, 849) and more than 17 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to health care" (Squires, 2012).
In the United States the rates of medical costs are skyrocketing. Even, though this is a wide span issue across many nations. Health care costs are the highest within the U.S. This issue is based upon life expectancy and infant mortality which help to produce the average rates across the board in our country. We as Americans with good health insurance coverage may get the best medical treatment in the world, but we are still below the average of other major industrial countries. the performance of the United States health care system as compared to 191 other countries was ranked 37th. This is according to the World Health Organization’s 2000 report on the
health insurance and medical care, large percentage (16%) of its GDP totaling to $1.9 trillion per
Opponents of universal healthcare system assert that the program would be damaging to the quality of health services, although researchers have established that the country’s healthcare structure is not superior to those of various developed countries that offer universal health care (Garber & Skinner, J2008). In relation to the same research, the United States is ranked second last in terms of the number of practicing physicians. Moreover, the country has less than the normal number of hospital beds and period of stay for severe care. The expense of the country’s healthcare per individual is $8,000 more than Netherlands, Norway,
There is no doubt that the United States has the highest health care expenses across the globe. Each person in the U.S. spends, on average, approximately $8,508 a year on health care alone. This figure is more than half, and sometimes nearly three times more, than most developed countries around the world, including relatively rich European countries such as France and Sweden. The infant mortality rate in the U.S. is much larger than those compared of other countries, regardless of high health care costs. The most evident pattern within the data is that other countries, on average, have lower incomes, pay less for health care, and are living longer. There are a few explanations for this
About 44 million people in this country have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without knowing that, if and when they need it, medical care may not be available to them and their families. The United States is one of the only modernized countries left in the world without a universal healthcare system for their citizens. In fact, out of the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (or OECD) only the United States and Mexico do not have universal health care . And in 2014, the Commonwealth Fund ranked the United States last in overall health care behind (in order) the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, France, and Canada . Another study conducted by the World Health Organization ranked the US #37 out of 191 countries, between Costa Rica and Slovenia in overall health care . The United States spent $8,508 per person on health care in 2011 while the OECD member average was $3,322 per person . One estimate shows that with a single-payer health care program run under government control 95% of US households would save money. Paying for health care is the top financial problem for US households with the cost of family health insurance premiums having increased 80%