Despite Americans paying nearly double that of other nations, the US fares poorly in list of 10 countries

The United States health system ranked dead last in an international comparison of 10 peer nations, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund.

In spite of Americans paying nearly double that of other countries, the system performed poorly on health equity, access to care and outcomes.

“I see the human toll of these shortcomings on a daily basis,” said Dr Joseph Betancourt, the president of the Commonwealth Fund, a foundation with a focus on healthcare research and policy.

The fund said the US would need to expand insurance coverage and make “meaningful” improvements on the amount of healthcare expenses patients pay themselves; minimize the complexity and variation in insurance plans to improve administrative efficiency; build a viable primary care and public health system; and invest in social wellbeing, rather than thrust problems of social inequity onto the health system.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Shocking. “Best health care system in the world,” my ass. “You’ll have to wait months if there’s universal healthcare.” Bitch, I have to wait months now.

    • Paddzr@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      Who has ever said that? You guys have no healthcare. It’s literally a joke to anyone outside of US.

          • theilleists@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            But you have to understand, to 74 million people, the Fox News Cinematic Universe is reality. There’s regular bullshit, and then there’s bullshit so widely believed that you actually have to study the bullshit, just to be able to predict what its subscribers will do next. Like religion.

    • apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      I had my primary care doctor retire. The gigantic hospital system with which they work put all existing patients in as new patients for the incoming doctor. It has been 18 months and I’m still waiting for the new patient visit. Fighting to even get maintainance medications filled has been crazy because I keep being told “I have to see my doctor.” Circular logic abounds.

      The gigantic system makes it so I cannot directly contact the office, it is all hurry up and wait through their patient portal systems which require 24-48 hours for response time. Can’t go to the doctors office to complain without an appointment.

      This system is working optimally for someone. It is not us.

    • thesohoriots@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      My insurance bumped up the copay on primary care to make it less affordable than an urgent care visit, incentivizing us to get care with immense surcharges. But at least we can get a same-day appointment instead of waiting a month or two to see the most qualified and familiar person with our conditions. Fuck capitalism, as usual.

    • Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      “You’ll have to wait months if there’s universal healthcare.”

      Yeah, but that healthcare is practically guaranteed, and it won’t put you into debt

      • PlasticExistence@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        Several times I’ve had to wait for months on healthcare in the US system. This is such a weak argument against a socialized system.