Robert E. Moffit, PhD
We all know the problems with American healthcare. It costs too much, there are gaps in insurance coverage, healthcare markets are uncompetitive, provider payments are often incomprehensible, pricing is opaque, bureaucracy is metastasizing, and our citizens face absurd barriers to personal choice of plans and providers.
These problems cry for solutions. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) recently restated his timeworn remedy for our ills: a “single payer” system of government-run national health insurance.
His reason to adopt such a system? The United States spends $4.9 trillion on healthcare, more than any other country in the world. But our medical outcomes in certain areas, such as maternal mortality, are substandard.
On that point, Sanders is right.
But our problems are much deeper than flawed financing and insurance arrangements. The root cause of our spending problem is a growing epidemic of chronic disease.
Health Care Price Transparency: Let’s Reward Patients for Shopping
More than 40% of adults are obese, and, unsurprisingly, over 85% of our healthcare spending goes toward treating and managing often-preventable chronic diseases and mental health conditions. Our raging obesity epidemic fuels cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, diabetes, and its related comorbidities.
In short: Because of factors such as obesity, Americans are generally sicker than our counterparts in other advanced nations—and that means our doctors and hospitals must work harder than their counterparts in other high-income countries to treat costly chronic diseases.
But the news isn’t all bad.
When Americans get sick, we have reason to be thankful for the high-quality care available to us.
Our many successes in care delivery are too often overlooked. We should be proud of our ability to respond quickly and effectively to treat major killers like cancer, heart disease, and strokes. And we should celebrate the stunning American advances in basic biomedical research, pharmacology, and technology.
Consider the facts. » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/health-care-reform/commentary/all-its-flaws-american-healthcare-gets-lot-right