As confirmed in a new study by the Commonwealth Fund, Americans now face the worst health outcomes of all developed countries. The US also has the highest healthcare spending among these high-income nations, both per person and as GDP share. The US is the only country among these that doesn’t provide universal health coverage. Americans are also more likely to die earlier and from treatable conditions compared to people living in similar countries. The Commonwealth Fund report and other analyses prove that the US spends more on healthcare while offering worse health outcomes.
American policymakers, doctors, and scientists are no strangers to these grave issues, and numerous challenges have become well-known to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to President Joe Biden, decreasing medical costs for American families and ensuring all people have access to quality, affordable healthcare has become essential. “Four out of five people who sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act can find healthcare coverage for $10 a month or less. These lower rates were set to expire at the end of this year, but thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we were able to extend them,” he recently stated.
Ensuring Health Coverage for All
Despite recent efforts, the US remains the only high-income country that does not ensure health coverage for all its citizens. A few countries that provide free or universal healthcare to all their citizens include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These countries also spend less than the US on health services and care. People living in numerous high-income countries can also opt for private coverage. An estimated 50% of the French population has both private and public insurance, highlighted in the Commonwealth Fund report.
Guaranteeing universal healthcare comes with significant benefits, such as lower healthcare and administrative costs and balanced service standards. Universal healthcare also seems to encourage people to make healthier choices. Yet, there are disadvantages to universal healthcare. These challenges include long wait times for some procedures and added strain on the state budget. Universal healthcare seems to be the solution of choice for most European countries, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous other nations around the world. Unlike the US, these countries avoid the risk of leaving a large portion of their population with no health insurance.
Dealing with Worse Health Outcomes
The lack of universal healthcare may be just one of the reasons why Americans are now dealing with worse health outcomes than their peers living in other high-income countries. Not only does the US have the highest obesity rate among these countries, but it also has the highest rate of death from physical assault. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is a severe risk factor for developing serious health conditions, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and numerous other diseases.
Although obesity and violence are some reasons Americans are now experiencing worse health outcomes than people living in other developed countries, there are more urgent problems. One argument for this is that American families are now confronted with the highest rate of infant and maternal deaths among the countries analyzed in the Commonwealth Fund report. The US also has the highest rate of patients suffering from multiple chronic conditions. 30% of US adults said they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions at least once in their life, compared to no more than 25% of adults living in other countries.
Taking Steps Forward
Because affordability is the primary reason Americans lack health coverage, President Biden’s promise can is as an integral progression in the US healthcare system. From his commitment, Americans will soon enjoy lower costs and better access to quality healthcare.
By comparing healthcare systems in various high-income countries, the Commonwealth Fund report highlights their role in preventing and managing chronic diseases, early detection and treatment of illnesses, accessible and affordable healthcare coverage, and cost control. Other nations have successfully addressed these key issues, and so can the US.
