Put in ≠ Get out (Kelly Leech)

The article, “It’s the Prices, Stupid: Why the United States is so Different from other Countries” by Anderson, Reinhardt, Hussey and Petrosyan, basically explains why the U.S. is spending more on its health care, but not providing higher quality health care in comparison to other developed countries.

The reasons why health care is too expensive are:
1)The inputs are more expensive (salaries, technology, drugs)
2)The system is more inefficient (fragmentation, higher administrative costs, private not public financed)

The reasons why the health care isn’t better quality are:
1)Supply of health care professionals isn’t higher
2)Hospital stays and capacities are less

Although U.S. does have more access to advanced medical technology there is no evidence proving the necessity of this technology in certain health care treatments and procedures (unnecessary costs again!).

So basically, “United States spends more on health care than any of the other OECD countries spend, without providing more services than the other countries do” (Anderson, Reinhardt, Hussey and Petrosyan).

I like this question because it’s a comprehensive critique of the U.S. health care system. Sometimes the debate just proves that U.S. spends too much, but by providing an explanation in relative terms (with other developed countries) why these costs are worrisome (because services aren’t better quality) strengthens the argument for universal coverage.

Quality health care to me is full access to health care – primary and specialty (if deemed necessary by professionals) with no regard to preexisting conditions, socioeconomic status or geographic location. Since the health care system left as a free market cannot provide quality health care, government must intervene to ensure it does. The professional alongside with the government should serve and provide health care for the individual as their human right.