I was going to post this in the Single Payer thread and in the Open Thread for today, but this turned out to be its own post. This year’s Commonwealth Fund International Profiles of Health Systems (PDF) is out.
This is particularly useful in detailing how governments cover the health care of their citizens (as in, “single payer” looks different depending upon where you are — instructive) and in summarizing overall outcomes of these systems. We get middling quality care and pay more than anyone else for it — 17.7% of our GDP (and this is without covering everybody) vs The Netherlands (the next highest) at 11.9%. We’re in the bottom third of countries able to get same day appointments and in being able to get after hours care. We’re the highest in the number of avoidable medical system deaths and in the bottom third of overall satisfaction with the medical care system. So much for the greatest medical care in the world.
Definitely take a good look at how other countries fund and administer their health care systems. They aren’t all the same, even though we often talk about them as though they are. Plenty of these countries run a national health service, but note how many rely on private insurance too. Single payer has many faces and those of us who want that need to be more articulate about what we’re pointed towards.
It isn’t all bad news, but as you review this (especially looking at costs), always remember that you are looking at US numbers that do not cover all of us. Obamacare certainly isn’t going to destroy health care in this country — that destruction was happening on its own.
And bookmark this — this is genuinely useful data.