As the U.S. is embroiled in a bitter battle to overhaul its current health care system, a new report finds that the country has the worst health care system among high-income countries.
America ranked last for overall performance and last or near last when it came to data points like access to care, administrative efficiency, equity and health care outcomes, according to a new report published Friday by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that strives to improve health care in America. Paradoxically, the U.S. spends more money on health care compared to other high-income countries, which is notable given its poor performance, the report states.
Though the U.S. ranked lowest in health care outcomes — and performed badly when it came to population health outcomes involving infant mortality and life expectancy at age 60 — it performed better on certain measures like in-hospital deaths in the month following a heart attack or stroke, according to the report.
The Commonwealth Fund compared the U.S. to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.
“The results suggest the U.S. health care system should look at other countries’ approaches if it wants to achieve an affordable high-performing health care system that serves all Americans,” the report’s abstract states.
Data for the study came from comparative survey research, in addition to comparative data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and the World Health Organization.
The U.S. health care system has been under a finely-tuned microscope in recent months as Republicans strive to repeal and replace former President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. While the House managed to pass a controversial health care bill back in May, the Senate is struggling to do the same.
“Current proposals being debated in Congress could undo most of that progress by increasing the number of people without health insurance by more than 20 million over the next decade,” Benjamin Sommers of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told New Scientist. “Rather than narrowing the gap with its rivals, the US might fall further behind.”
The Senate GOP’s latest attempt to move a bill along hit a snag over the weekend, as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) had to undergo eye surgery to remove a blood clot. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement delaying consideration of the bill as McCain recovers. Just one senator could sink the bill’s prospects, given that Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) have already said they couldn’t support this version of the bill.
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Report: U.S. Has the Worst Health Care System Compared to These Countries originally appeared on usnews.com
