US Healthcare, Better? Nope, but sure more expensive.....

[Zan15]

Why US healthcare is more expensive than all other wealthy nations - but life expectancy is the LOWEST

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...#ixzz59f0fQ8sK

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2bcb2537960f

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...214-story.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/us-h...e-nations.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/u...-of-world.html

i'd link fox but of course we know they will ignore this study



Americans spent almost twice as much on health care costs than other wealthy nations in 2016

The Harvard team found physician salaries and service prices are some of the main reasons why American's pay more for health care than their peers

They found these costs are not due to the utilization of medical services



People in the US shell out $9,403 a year on health care services, while wealthy nations like Germany spend on average a little more $5,000.

While it's been said that Americans use more medical services than peer countries, leading to higher costs, the study found salaries of physicians, as well as higher pharmaceutical prices play a significant roles in health care costs.

The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University, debunks many of the common beliefs people have about why the US spend so much money on healthcare.


They found that the main drivers of these prices are higher salaries for physicians and nurse, with US medical doctors making around $218,173 compared with a range of $86,607 to $154,126 in the other countries.

The US also spend more money on drugs, with each American spending more than $1,443 a year on pharmaceuticals, while others nations spend between $466 and $939.

Researchers found life expectancy in the US was the lowest of 11 countries at 78.8 years old, while people in other wealthy nations are expected to live between 80 and 83.9 years.

They also found that the utilization of these medical services were about the same did not differ substantially from their peer countries, despite having higher costs.

'There is a belief that the US population uses a lot more health care services than other countries, thus driving costs. Yet, we found that the US has comparable rates of utilization overall, with lower numbers of physician visits and hospitalizations,' Dr Jha said.

[dvaz]

lol @ DailyMail.

That site is only good for the comments.

[callipygoustp]

Heh, blaming doctor salaries.

[Captain N]

A link from WaPo for those that are going to complain about Daily Mail.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2bcb2537960f

[Zoldor]

It is because our medical industry is run like a construction project instead of a functionl business. We're also slaves to an unregulated insurance market that allows hospitals and doctors to charge larger than life fees to the individual, while discounting it's services to the insurance companies, who in turn raise the premiums year to year.

Our pharma is also insanely priced, because again unregulated insurance is how we pay.

Our general health is bad, but that is another discussion and is really more of a reason why we go more often.

Unregulated insurance and unregulated student loans is going to be the murder of the US middle class.

[Phookah]

Heh, blaming doctor salaries.

It's kinda sad really.

[Independent voter]

dailyfail.com is a terrible news source, it's fake news central.

[mootygrimes]

It's great, man.

Half of the voting population in America never gets sick, and when they do get sick it's OK because they've got enough money to pay for any treatment they require. These people vote for a party that is actively trying to tear down health systems in the U.S.

The other half is trying to make health care more accessible for every american regardless of their social status or level of income. They vote for the party that has a wide ranging progressive social agenda. Unfortunately all those rich, super healthy americans I just mention keep turning out and voting more than these carebears so the health system just keeps getting undercut.

So yeah, I suppose you could say it's not great, but at least it's working as intended.

[Zandalarian Paladin]

To be fair, the US Healthcare system is considered a nightmare in most countries.

As someone who has to go to the hospital often for health issues, I'm damn happy I live in Canada.

[tankbug]

I have no idea how credible the Dailymail is, but they haven't just pulled this out of their ass. Just a quick and lazy search came up with this:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...rices-salaries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health..._United_States
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/...ilar-countries


The US Healthcare is about turning a healthy profit for the industry, not keeping people alive and well.

[Zan15]

lol @ DailyMail.

That site is only good for the comments.

Guess you missed the part that the study is from Harvard and just focused on the web site reporting the findings

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A link from WaPo for those that are going to complain about Daily Mail.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2bcb2537960f

they will cry liberal fake news on that one!!

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dailyfail.com is a terrible news source, it's fake news central.

Yup i am sure Harvard really did not do the study, its totally fake news.

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I have no idea how credible the Dailymail is, but they haven't just pulled this out of their ass. Just a quick and lazy search came up with this:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...rices-salaries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health..._United_States
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/...ilar-countries


The US Healthcare is about turning a healthy profit for the industry, not keeping people alive and well.

Holy crap people.....its a study from HARVARD. Does anyone actually read?

How about some more links.....


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2bcb2537960f

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...214-story.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/us-h...e-nations.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/u...-of-world.html

[Aggrophobic]

dailyfail.com is a terrible news source, it's fake news central.

I Harvard also "fake central"?

[Varithimas]

One reason why healthcare is so high is because most Americans are overweight or obese. If people shed a few pounds the costs associated with healthcare would decrease drastically and improve life expectancy.

[Afrospinach]

One reason why healthcare is so high is because most Americans are overweight or obese. If people shed a few pounds the costs associated with healthcare would decrease drastically and improve life expectancy.

Probably worth noting that is really not an American problem.

[Varithimas]

Probably worth noting that is really not an American problem.

Well considering it is the most obese of any developed nation I think it does matter.

[Crispin]

Because "free market man!" and "DONT REGULATE BUSINESS!1"

[Fattypudds]

Lack of government price control on all aspects of the health care system, even Australia does it way better

[Zan15]

Well considering it is the most obese of any developed nation I think it does matter.

Obese rates: 20.10% germany US 33.70% Australia 28.60% Canada 28.00% UK 28.2% etc etc


The rates of those countries are not so much less that they cause the difference in the rates to be that much higher/lower especially since utilization rates are nearly identical. So even though we are more obese we are not using services to a greater degree then other countries.

[Ghostpanther]

For once we have a subject we can agree on Zan. But Obamacare was not the right direction. It never addressed the main issue with the health care costs in the US. Raising costs. Drug costs are also a major issue. We will never see Universal health care in the US however. And you guys think the NRA are strong lobbyists. lol! Price controls would be one step. But even that is not going to happen.

[Orlong]

Except all of these studies are flawed. They are lumping those who either cannot afford or refuse to buy insurance in with those who do have insurance. OF COURSE someone who doesnt have insurance and doesnt get regular testing done will die earlier and that artificially makes the US healthcare system, look worse when it isnt the system's fault. Its the person who refused to get insurance and see a doctor's fault.

When someone does a PROPER study that only includes those who have insurance and see the doctor when they should, THEN youll see that we get stellar care and although it may cost more, its higher quality, and the wait for treatment is much less than anywhere else in the world, and the life expectancy will be showing where it actually should be.

Any study can be manipulated to make something look bad when you pollute it with cherry picked negative information

Also, I dont know who in the hell they think it paying almost $10k per year for healthcare services. I pay less than $1000 a year for insurance

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Well considering it is the most obese of any developed nation I think it does matter.

Actually its not. US is 19th.

https://renewbariatrics.com/obesity-rank-by-countries/