Enrollment in unsubsidized plans has plunged 29 percent in a year

[Sun Devil 92]

Is Part of the Health-Insurance Market Entering a Death Spiral?

The problem is that the unsubsidized market is not immune from premium increases. Those buying insurance without subsidies have to pay the full price out of their pockets. If the insurance companies can take some hope from their bottom lines, what about the people the Affordable Care Act was intended to benefit? A recent report by Mark Farrah and Associates (MFA), based upon state insurance regulatory filings as well as federal data, now provides us with a more complete picture. The report is particularly valuable because it encompasses all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It also covers the entire individual-health-insurance market — on- and off-exchange, including what the federal government estimates are 1.6 million to 2.6 million non-ACA-compliant policies. It also reflects the condition of the market prior to the recent mischief by the Trump administration to undermine it.

Read more at: Is Part of the Health-Insurance Market Entering a Death Spiral?

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Some key findings: As of March 2017, the individual insurance market totaled 17.6 people. That is down from 20.2 million one year prior. This is a decrease of 2.6 million people, a 13 percent drop in the size of the overall individual-health-insurance market. 12.2 million bought their health insurance on the state- and federally run Obamacare exchanges. 5.4 million people bought their insurance off of the Obamacare exchanges. Enrollment is steady among those who receive subsidies but declining dramatically among those who do not. In the most recent federal report on exchange enrollment, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that 83 percent of those buying coverage in the federally run exchanges received a subsidy. Using this figure as an estimate for state-run exchanges as well, roughly 2.1 million of the 12.2 million purchasing on an exchange did not get a subsidy. Combining these individuals with the 5.4 million people who purchased off-exchange — to whom subsidies are not available by definition — a total of 7.5 million people did not get a subsidy, or 43 percent of the total. (This number makes sense. Census Bureau data from 2015 indicate that 40 percent of all American households have income in excess of 400 percent of the federal poverty level, which is the threshold of eligibility for subsidies.) Also, MFA published the same report in 2016, facilitating a year-over-year comparison. The on-exchange market fell from 12,681,874 to 12,216,003 individuals, a reduction of 465,871 or 4 percent. However, the off-exchange market fell from 7,520,939 to 5,361,451, a reduction of 2,159,488 or 29 percent. In other words, enrollment is steady among those who receive subsidies but declining dramatically among those who do not.

Read more at: Is Part of the Health-Insurance Market Entering a Death Spiral?

 

[DarkFury]

Shit Stain care was failing on its own. Even Democrats admit that! I look forward to its death.

 

[Fenton Lum]

Shit Stain care was failing on its own. Even Democrats admit that! I look forward to its death.

New York, N.Y., October 8, 2015 — The U.S. spent more per person on health care than 12 other high-income nations in 2013, while seeing the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes among this group, according to a Commonwealth Fund report out today. The analysis shows that in the U.S., which spent an average of $9,086 per person annually, life expectancy was 78.8 years. Switzerland, the second-highest-spending country, spent $6,325 per person and had a life expectancy of 82.9 years. Mortality rates for cancer were among the lowest in the U.S., but rates of chronic conditions, obesity, and infant mortality were higher than those abroad.

“Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D. “We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity.”

U.S. Spends More on Health Care Than Other High-Income Nations But Has Lower Life Expectancy, Worse Health


U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries

U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries


Major Findings
· Quality: The indicators of quality were grouped into four categories: effective care, safe care, coordinated care, and patient-centered care. Compared with the other 10 countries, the U.S. fares best on provision and receipt of preventive and patient-centered care. While there has been some improvement in recent years, lower scores on safe and coordinated care pull the overall U.S. quality score down. Continued adoption of health information technology should enhance the ability of U.S. physicians to identify, monitor, and coordinate care for their patients, particularly those with chronic conditions.

· Access: Not surprisingly—given the absence of universal coverage—people in the U.S. go without needed health care because of cost more often than people do in the other countries. Americans were the most likely to say they had access problems related to cost. Patients in the U.S. have rapid access to specialized health care services; however, they are less likely to report rapid access to primary care than people in leading countries in the study. In other countries, like Canada, patients have little to no financial burden, but experience wait times for such specialized services. There is a frequent misperception that trade-offs between universal coverage and timely access to specialized services are inevitable; however, the Netherlands, U.K., and Germany provide universal coverage with low out-of-pocket costs while maintaining quick access to specialty services.

· Efficiency: On indicators of efficiency, the U.S. ranks last among the 11 countries, with the U.K. and Sweden ranking first and second, respectively. The U.S. has poor performance on measures of national health expenditures and administrative costs as well as on measures of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency room use, and duplicative medical testing. Sicker survey respondents in the U.K. and France are less likely to visit the emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor, had one been available.

· Equity: The U.S. ranks a clear last on measures of equity. Americans with below-average incomes were much more likely than their counterparts in other countries to report not visiting a physician when sick; not getting a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up care; or not filling a prescription or skipping doses when needed because of costs. On each of these indicators, one-third or more lower-income adults in the U.S. said they went without needed care because of costs in the past year.

· Healthy lives: The U.S. ranks last overall with poor scores on all three indicators of healthy lives—mortality amenable to medical care, infant mortality, and healthy life expectancy at age 60. The U.S. and U.K. had much higher death rates in 2007 from conditions amenable to medical care than some of the other countries, e.g., rates 25 percent to 50 percent higher than Australia and Sweden. Overall, France, Sweden, and Switzerland rank highest on healthy lives.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally


No other advanced country even comes close to the United States in annual spending on health care, but plenty of those other countries see much better outcomes in their citizens' actual health overall.

A new Commonwealth Fund report released Thursday underscored that point — yet again — with an analysis that ranks 13 high-income nations on their overall health spending, use of medical services, prices and health outcomes.

The study data, which is from 2013, predates the full implementation of Obamacare, which took place in 2014. Obamacare is designed to increase health coverage for Americans and stem the rise in health-care costs.

The findings indicate that despite spending well in excess of the rate of any other of those countries in 2013, the United States achieved worse outcomes when it comes to rates of chronic conditions, obesity and infant mortality.

One rare bright spot for the U.S., however, is that its mortality rate for cancer is among the lowest out of the 13 countries, and that cancer rates fell faster between 1995 and 2007 than in other countries.

"Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits," said Dr. David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund. "We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health-care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity."

US health care: Spending a lot, getting the least


Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System
MMS: Error


Health Care Outcomes in States Influenced by Coverage, Disparities
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...-in-states-influenced-by-coverage-disparities


One explanation for the health disadvantage of the United States relative to other high-income countries might be deficiencies in health services. Although the United States is renowned for its leadership in biomedical research, its cutting-edge medical technology, and its hospitals and specialists, problems with ensuring Americans’ access to the system and providing quality care have been a long-standing concern of policy makers and the public (Berwick et al., 2008; Brook, 2011b; Fineberg, 2012). Higher mortality rates from diseases, and even from transportation-related injuries and homicides, may be traceable in part to failings in the health care system.

The United States stands out from many other countries in not offering universal health insurance coverage. In 2010, 50 million people (16 percent of the U.S. population) were uninsured (DeNavas-Walt et al., 2011). Access to health care services, particularly in rural and frontier communities or disadvantaged urban centers, is often limited. The United States has a relatively weak foundation for primary care and a shortage of family physicians (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2009; Grumbach et al., 2009; Macinko et al., 2007; Sandy et al., 2009). Many Americans rely on emergency departments for acute, chronic, and even preventive care (Institute of Medicine, 2007a; Schoen et al., 2009b, 2011). Cost sharing is common in the United States, and high out-of-pocket expenses make health care services, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies increasingly unaffordable (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011; Karaca-Mandic et al., 2012). In 2011, one-third of American households reported problems paying medical bills (Cohen et al., 2012), a problem that seems to have worsened in recent years (Himmelstein et al., 2009). Health insurance premiums are consuming an increasing proportion of U.S. household income (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011).

Public Health and Medical Care Systems - U.S. Health in International Perspective - NCBI Bookshelf


Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey

A report released Monday by a respected think tank ranks the United States dead last in the quality of its health-care system when compared with 10 other western, industrialized nations, the same spot it occupied in four previous studies by the same organization. Not only did the U.S. fail to move up between 2004 and 2014 -- as other nations did with concerted effort and significant reforms -- it also has maintained this dubious distinction while spending far more per capita ($8,508) on health care than Norway ($5,669), which has the second most expensive system.

"Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients’ perspective, and based on outcome indicators, the performance of American health care is severely lacking," the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that promotes improved health care, concluded in its extensive analysis. The charts in this post are from the report.

Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey


US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency
US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency


he U.S. healthcare system notched another dubious honor in a new comparison of its quality to the systems of 10 other developed countries: its rank was dead last.

The new study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks the U.S. against seven wealthy European countries and Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It's a follow-up of previous surveys published in 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2004, in all of which the U.S. also ranked last.

Although the U.S. ranked in the middle of the pack on measures of effectiveness, safety and coordination of care, it ranked dead last on access and cost, by a sufficient margin to rank dead last overall. The breakdowns are in the chart above.

Conservative pundits hastened to explain away these results after the report was published. See Aaron Carroll for a gloss on the "zombie arguments" put forth against the clear evidence that the U.S. system falls short.

The U.S. healthcare system: worst in the developed world

U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World
U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Shit Stain care was failing on its own. Even Democrats admit that! I look forward to its death.

New York, N.Y., October 8, 2015 — The U.S. spent more per person on health care than 12 other high-income nations in 2013, while seeing the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes among this group, according to a Commonwealth Fund report out today. The analysis shows that in the U.S., which spent an average of $9,086 per person annually, life expectancy was 78.8 years. Switzerland, the second-highest-spending country, spent $6,325 per person and had a life expectancy of 82.9 years. Mortality rates for cancer were among the lowest in the U.S., but rates of chronic conditions, obesity, and infant mortality were higher than those abroad.

“Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D. “We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity.”

U.S. Spends More on Health Care Than Other High-Income Nations But Has Lower Life Expectancy, Worse Health


U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries

U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries


Major Findings
· Quality: The indicators of quality were grouped into four categories: effective care, safe care, coordinated care, and patient-centered care. Compared with the other 10 countries, the U.S. fares best on provision and receipt of preventive and patient-centered care. While there has been some improvement in recent years, lower scores on safe and coordinated care pull the overall U.S. quality score down. Continued adoption of health information technology should enhance the ability of U.S. physicians to identify, monitor, and coordinate care for their patients, particularly those with chronic conditions.

· Access: Not surprisingly—given the absence of universal coverage—people in the U.S. go without needed health care because of cost more often than people do in the other countries. Americans were the most likely to say they had access problems related to cost. Patients in the U.S. have rapid access to specialized health care services; however, they are less likely to report rapid access to primary care than people in leading countries in the study. In other countries, like Canada, patients have little to no financial burden, but experience wait times for such specialized services. There is a frequent misperception that trade-offs between universal coverage and timely access to specialized services are inevitable; however, the Netherlands, U.K., and Germany provide universal coverage with low out-of-pocket costs while maintaining quick access to specialty services.

· Efficiency: On indicators of efficiency, the U.S. ranks last among the 11 countries, with the U.K. and Sweden ranking first and second, respectively. The U.S. has poor performance on measures of national health expenditures and administrative costs as well as on measures of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency room use, and duplicative medical testing. Sicker survey respondents in the U.K. and France are less likely to visit the emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor, had one been available.

· Equity: The U.S. ranks a clear last on measures of equity. Americans with below-average incomes were much more likely than their counterparts in other countries to report not visiting a physician when sick; not getting a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up care; or not filling a prescription or skipping doses when needed because of costs. On each of these indicators, one-third or more lower-income adults in the U.S. said they went without needed care because of costs in the past year.

· Healthy lives: The U.S. ranks last overall with poor scores on all three indicators of healthy lives—mortality amenable to medical care, infant mortality, and healthy life expectancy at age 60. The U.S. and U.K. had much higher death rates in 2007 from conditions amenable to medical care than some of the other countries, e.g., rates 25 percent to 50 percent higher than Australia and Sweden. Overall, France, Sweden, and Switzerland rank highest on healthy lives.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally


No other advanced country even comes close to the United States in annual spending on health care, but plenty of those other countries see much better outcomes in their citizens' actual health overall.

A new Commonwealth Fund report released Thursday underscored that point — yet again — with an analysis that ranks 13 high-income nations on their overall health spending, use of medical services, prices and health outcomes.

The study data, which is from 2013, predates the full implementation of Obamacare, which took place in 2014. Obamacare is designed to increase health coverage for Americans and stem the rise in health-care costs.

The findings indicate that despite spending well in excess of the rate of any other of those countries in 2013, the United States achieved worse outcomes when it comes to rates of chronic conditions, obesity and infant mortality.

One rare bright spot for the U.S., however, is that its mortality rate for cancer is among the lowest out of the 13 countries, and that cancer rates fell faster between 1995 and 2007 than in other countries.

"Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits," said Dr. David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund. "We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health-care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity."

US health care: Spending a lot, getting the least


Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System
MMS: Error


Health Care Outcomes in States Influenced by Coverage, Disparities
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...-in-states-influenced-by-coverage-disparities


One explanation for the health disadvantage of the United States relative to other high-income countries might be deficiencies in health services. Although the United States is renowned for its leadership in biomedical research, its cutting-edge medical technology, and its hospitals and specialists, problems with ensuring Americans’ access to the system and providing quality care have been a long-standing concern of policy makers and the public (Berwick et al., 2008; Brook, 2011b; Fineberg, 2012). Higher mortality rates from diseases, and even from transportation-related injuries and homicides, may be traceable in part to failings in the health care system.

The United States stands out from many other countries in not offering universal health insurance coverage. In 2010, 50 million people (16 percent of the U.S. population) were uninsured (DeNavas-Walt et al., 2011). Access to health care services, particularly in rural and frontier communities or disadvantaged urban centers, is often limited. The United States has a relatively weak foundation for primary care and a shortage of family physicians (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2009; Grumbach et al., 2009; Macinko et al., 2007; Sandy et al., 2009). Many Americans rely on emergency departments for acute, chronic, and even preventive care (Institute of Medicine, 2007a; Schoen et al., 2009b, 2011). Cost sharing is common in the United States, and high out-of-pocket expenses make health care services, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies increasingly unaffordable (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011; Karaca-Mandic et al., 2012). In 2011, one-third of American households reported problems paying medical bills (Cohen et al., 2012), a problem that seems to have worsened in recent years (Himmelstein et al., 2009). Health insurance premiums are consuming an increasing proportion of U.S. household income (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011).

Public Health and Medical Care Systems - U.S. Health in International Perspective - NCBI Bookshelf


Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey

A report released Monday by a respected think tank ranks the United States dead last in the quality of its health-care system when compared with 10 other western, industrialized nations, the same spot it occupied in four previous studies by the same organization. Not only did the U.S. fail to move up between 2004 and 2014 -- as other nations did with concerted effort and significant reforms -- it also has maintained this dubious distinction while spending far more per capita ($8,508) on health care than Norway ($5,669), which has the second most expensive system.

"Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients’ perspective, and based on outcome indicators, the performance of American health care is severely lacking," the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that promotes improved health care, concluded in its extensive analysis. The charts in this post are from the report.

Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey


US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency
US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency


he U.S. healthcare system notched another dubious honor in a new comparison of its quality to the systems of 10 other developed countries: its rank was dead last.

The new study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks the U.S. against seven wealthy European countries and Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It's a follow-up of previous surveys published in 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2004, in all of which the U.S. also ranked last.

Although the U.S. ranked in the middle of the pack on measures of effectiveness, safety and coordination of care, it ranked dead last on access and cost, by a sufficient margin to rank dead last overall. The breakdowns are in the chart above.

Conservative pundits hastened to explain away these results after the report was published. See Aaron Carroll for a gloss on the "zombie arguments" put forth against the clear evidence that the U.S. system falls short.

The U.S. healthcare system: worst in the developed world

U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World
U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World

All crap.

First of all the WHO is stupid.

Next, the country has very different models and performance in different places.

Why would I would to be homogonized with a loser program ?

 

[BlackFlag]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

 

[Fenton Lum]

Shit Stain care was failing on its own. Even Democrats admit that! I look forward to its death.

New York, N.Y., October 8, 2015 — The U.S. spent more per person on health care than 12 other high-income nations in 2013, while seeing the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes among this group, according to a Commonwealth Fund report out today. The analysis shows that in the U.S., which spent an average of $9,086 per person annually, life expectancy was 78.8 years. Switzerland, the second-highest-spending country, spent $6,325 per person and had a life expectancy of 82.9 years. Mortality rates for cancer were among the lowest in the U.S., but rates of chronic conditions, obesity, and infant mortality were higher than those abroad.

“Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D. “We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity.”

U.S. Spends More on Health Care Than Other High-Income Nations But Has Lower Life Expectancy, Worse Health


U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries

U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries


Major Findings
· Quality: The indicators of quality were grouped into four categories: effective care, safe care, coordinated care, and patient-centered care. Compared with the other 10 countries, the U.S. fares best on provision and receipt of preventive and patient-centered care. While there has been some improvement in recent years, lower scores on safe and coordinated care pull the overall U.S. quality score down. Continued adoption of health information technology should enhance the ability of U.S. physicians to identify, monitor, and coordinate care for their patients, particularly those with chronic conditions.

· Access: Not surprisingly—given the absence of universal coverage—people in the U.S. go without needed health care because of cost more often than people do in the other countries. Americans were the most likely to say they had access problems related to cost. Patients in the U.S. have rapid access to specialized health care services; however, they are less likely to report rapid access to primary care than people in leading countries in the study. In other countries, like Canada, patients have little to no financial burden, but experience wait times for such specialized services. There is a frequent misperception that trade-offs between universal coverage and timely access to specialized services are inevitable; however, the Netherlands, U.K., and Germany provide universal coverage with low out-of-pocket costs while maintaining quick access to specialty services.

· Efficiency: On indicators of efficiency, the U.S. ranks last among the 11 countries, with the U.K. and Sweden ranking first and second, respectively. The U.S. has poor performance on measures of national health expenditures and administrative costs as well as on measures of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency room use, and duplicative medical testing. Sicker survey respondents in the U.K. and France are less likely to visit the emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor, had one been available.

· Equity: The U.S. ranks a clear last on measures of equity. Americans with below-average incomes were much more likely than their counterparts in other countries to report not visiting a physician when sick; not getting a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up care; or not filling a prescription or skipping doses when needed because of costs. On each of these indicators, one-third or more lower-income adults in the U.S. said they went without needed care because of costs in the past year.

· Healthy lives: The U.S. ranks last overall with poor scores on all three indicators of healthy lives—mortality amenable to medical care, infant mortality, and healthy life expectancy at age 60. The U.S. and U.K. had much higher death rates in 2007 from conditions amenable to medical care than some of the other countries, e.g., rates 25 percent to 50 percent higher than Australia and Sweden. Overall, France, Sweden, and Switzerland rank highest on healthy lives.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally


No other advanced country even comes close to the United States in annual spending on health care, but plenty of those other countries see much better outcomes in their citizens' actual health overall.

A new Commonwealth Fund report released Thursday underscored that point — yet again — with an analysis that ranks 13 high-income nations on their overall health spending, use of medical services, prices and health outcomes.

The study data, which is from 2013, predates the full implementation of Obamacare, which took place in 2014. Obamacare is designed to increase health coverage for Americans and stem the rise in health-care costs.

The findings indicate that despite spending well in excess of the rate of any other of those countries in 2013, the United States achieved worse outcomes when it comes to rates of chronic conditions, obesity and infant mortality.

One rare bright spot for the U.S., however, is that its mortality rate for cancer is among the lowest out of the 13 countries, and that cancer rates fell faster between 1995 and 2007 than in other countries.

"Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits," said Dr. David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund. "We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health-care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity."

US health care: Spending a lot, getting the least


Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System
MMS: Error


Health Care Outcomes in States Influenced by Coverage, Disparities
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...-in-states-influenced-by-coverage-disparities


One explanation for the health disadvantage of the United States relative to other high-income countries might be deficiencies in health services. Although the United States is renowned for its leadership in biomedical research, its cutting-edge medical technology, and its hospitals and specialists, problems with ensuring Americans’ access to the system and providing quality care have been a long-standing concern of policy makers and the public (Berwick et al., 2008; Brook, 2011b; Fineberg, 2012). Higher mortality rates from diseases, and even from transportation-related injuries and homicides, may be traceable in part to failings in the health care system.

The United States stands out from many other countries in not offering universal health insurance coverage. In 2010, 50 million people (16 percent of the U.S. population) were uninsured (DeNavas-Walt et al., 2011). Access to health care services, particularly in rural and frontier communities or disadvantaged urban centers, is often limited. The United States has a relatively weak foundation for primary care and a shortage of family physicians (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2009; Grumbach et al., 2009; Macinko et al., 2007; Sandy et al., 2009). Many Americans rely on emergency departments for acute, chronic, and even preventive care (Institute of Medicine, 2007a; Schoen et al., 2009b, 2011). Cost sharing is common in the United States, and high out-of-pocket expenses make health care services, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies increasingly unaffordable (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011; Karaca-Mandic et al., 2012). In 2011, one-third of American households reported problems paying medical bills (Cohen et al., 2012), a problem that seems to have worsened in recent years (Himmelstein et al., 2009). Health insurance premiums are consuming an increasing proportion of U.S. household income (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011).

Public Health and Medical Care Systems - U.S. Health in International Perspective - NCBI Bookshelf


Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey

A report released Monday by a respected think tank ranks the United States dead last in the quality of its health-care system when compared with 10 other western, industrialized nations, the same spot it occupied in four previous studies by the same organization. Not only did the U.S. fail to move up between 2004 and 2014 -- as other nations did with concerted effort and significant reforms -- it also has maintained this dubious distinction while spending far more per capita ($8,508) on health care than Norway ($5,669), which has the second most expensive system.

"Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients’ perspective, and based on outcome indicators, the performance of American health care is severely lacking," the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that promotes improved health care, concluded in its extensive analysis. The charts in this post are from the report.

Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey


US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency
US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency


he U.S. healthcare system notched another dubious honor in a new comparison of its quality to the systems of 10 other developed countries: its rank was dead last.

The new study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks the U.S. against seven wealthy European countries and Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It's a follow-up of previous surveys published in 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2004, in all of which the U.S. also ranked last.

Although the U.S. ranked in the middle of the pack on measures of effectiveness, safety and coordination of care, it ranked dead last on access and cost, by a sufficient margin to rank dead last overall. The breakdowns are in the chart above.

Conservative pundits hastened to explain away these results after the report was published. See Aaron Carroll for a gloss on the "zombie arguments" put forth against the clear evidence that the U.S. system falls short.

The U.S. healthcare system: worst in the developed world

U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World
U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World

All crap.

First of all the WHO is stupid.

Next, the country has very different models and performance in different places.

Why would I would to be homogonized with a loser program ?

Sure padnah, sure, all of that was WHO stuff.

You are in the minority son, suck it up.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Shit Stain care was failing on its own. Even Democrats admit that! I look forward to its death.

New York, N.Y., October 8, 2015 — The U.S. spent more per person on health care than 12 other high-income nations in 2013, while seeing the lowest life expectancy and some of the worst health outcomes among this group, according to a Commonwealth Fund report out today. The analysis shows that in the U.S., which spent an average of $9,086 per person annually, life expectancy was 78.8 years. Switzerland, the second-highest-spending country, spent $6,325 per person and had a life expectancy of 82.9 years. Mortality rates for cancer were among the lowest in the U.S., but rates of chronic conditions, obesity, and infant mortality were higher than those abroad.

“Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits,” said Commonwealth Fund President David Blumenthal, M.D. “We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity.”

U.S. Spends More on Health Care Than Other High-Income Nations But Has Lower Life Expectancy, Worse Health


U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries

U.S. Healthcare Ranked Dead Last Compared To 10 Other Countries


Major Findings
· Quality: The indicators of quality were grouped into four categories: effective care, safe care, coordinated care, and patient-centered care. Compared with the other 10 countries, the U.S. fares best on provision and receipt of preventive and patient-centered care. While there has been some improvement in recent years, lower scores on safe and coordinated care pull the overall U.S. quality score down. Continued adoption of health information technology should enhance the ability of U.S. physicians to identify, monitor, and coordinate care for their patients, particularly those with chronic conditions.

· Access: Not surprisingly—given the absence of universal coverage—people in the U.S. go without needed health care because of cost more often than people do in the other countries. Americans were the most likely to say they had access problems related to cost. Patients in the U.S. have rapid access to specialized health care services; however, they are less likely to report rapid access to primary care than people in leading countries in the study. In other countries, like Canada, patients have little to no financial burden, but experience wait times for such specialized services. There is a frequent misperception that trade-offs between universal coverage and timely access to specialized services are inevitable; however, the Netherlands, U.K., and Germany provide universal coverage with low out-of-pocket costs while maintaining quick access to specialty services.

· Efficiency: On indicators of efficiency, the U.S. ranks last among the 11 countries, with the U.K. and Sweden ranking first and second, respectively. The U.S. has poor performance on measures of national health expenditures and administrative costs as well as on measures of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency room use, and duplicative medical testing. Sicker survey respondents in the U.K. and France are less likely to visit the emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor, had one been available.

· Equity: The U.S. ranks a clear last on measures of equity. Americans with below-average incomes were much more likely than their counterparts in other countries to report not visiting a physician when sick; not getting a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up care; or not filling a prescription or skipping doses when needed because of costs. On each of these indicators, one-third or more lower-income adults in the U.S. said they went without needed care because of costs in the past year.

· Healthy lives: The U.S. ranks last overall with poor scores on all three indicators of healthy lives—mortality amenable to medical care, infant mortality, and healthy life expectancy at age 60. The U.S. and U.K. had much higher death rates in 2007 from conditions amenable to medical care than some of the other countries, e.g., rates 25 percent to 50 percent higher than Australia and Sweden. Overall, France, Sweden, and Switzerland rank highest on healthy lives.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally


No other advanced country even comes close to the United States in annual spending on health care, but plenty of those other countries see much better outcomes in their citizens' actual health overall.

A new Commonwealth Fund report released Thursday underscored that point — yet again — with an analysis that ranks 13 high-income nations on their overall health spending, use of medical services, prices and health outcomes.

The study data, which is from 2013, predates the full implementation of Obamacare, which took place in 2014. Obamacare is designed to increase health coverage for Americans and stem the rise in health-care costs.

The findings indicate that despite spending well in excess of the rate of any other of those countries in 2013, the United States achieved worse outcomes when it comes to rates of chronic conditions, obesity and infant mortality.

One rare bright spot for the U.S., however, is that its mortality rate for cancer is among the lowest out of the 13 countries, and that cancer rates fell faster between 1995 and 2007 than in other countries.

"Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on health care in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits," said Dr. David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund. "We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our health-care dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity."

US health care: Spending a lot, getting the least


Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System
MMS: Error


Health Care Outcomes in States Influenced by Coverage, Disparities
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...-in-states-influenced-by-coverage-disparities


One explanation for the health disadvantage of the United States relative to other high-income countries might be deficiencies in health services. Although the United States is renowned for its leadership in biomedical research, its cutting-edge medical technology, and its hospitals and specialists, problems with ensuring Americans’ access to the system and providing quality care have been a long-standing concern of policy makers and the public (Berwick et al., 2008; Brook, 2011b; Fineberg, 2012). Higher mortality rates from diseases, and even from transportation-related injuries and homicides, may be traceable in part to failings in the health care system.

The United States stands out from many other countries in not offering universal health insurance coverage. In 2010, 50 million people (16 percent of the U.S. population) were uninsured (DeNavas-Walt et al., 2011). Access to health care services, particularly in rural and frontier communities or disadvantaged urban centers, is often limited. The United States has a relatively weak foundation for primary care and a shortage of family physicians (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2009; Grumbach et al., 2009; Macinko et al., 2007; Sandy et al., 2009). Many Americans rely on emergency departments for acute, chronic, and even preventive care (Institute of Medicine, 2007a; Schoen et al., 2009b, 2011). Cost sharing is common in the United States, and high out-of-pocket expenses make health care services, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies increasingly unaffordable (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011; Karaca-Mandic et al., 2012). In 2011, one-third of American households reported problems paying medical bills (Cohen et al., 2012), a problem that seems to have worsened in recent years (Himmelstein et al., 2009). Health insurance premiums are consuming an increasing proportion of U.S. household income (Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance System, 2011).

Public Health and Medical Care Systems - U.S. Health in International Perspective - NCBI Bookshelf


Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey

A report released Monday by a respected think tank ranks the United States dead last in the quality of its health-care system when compared with 10 other western, industrialized nations, the same spot it occupied in four previous studies by the same organization. Not only did the U.S. fail to move up between 2004 and 2014 -- as other nations did with concerted effort and significant reforms -- it also has maintained this dubious distinction while spending far more per capita ($8,508) on health care than Norway ($5,669), which has the second most expensive system.

"Although the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country and has the highest proportion of specialist physicians, survey findings indicate that from the patients’ perspective, and based on outcome indicators, the performance of American health care is severely lacking," the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that promotes improved health care, concluded in its extensive analysis. The charts in this post are from the report.

Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey


US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency
US healthcare system ranks 50th out of 55 countries for efficiency


he U.S. healthcare system notched another dubious honor in a new comparison of its quality to the systems of 10 other developed countries: its rank was dead last.

The new study by the Commonwealth Fund ranks the U.S. against seven wealthy European countries and Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It's a follow-up of previous surveys published in 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2004, in all of which the U.S. also ranked last.

Although the U.S. ranked in the middle of the pack on measures of effectiveness, safety and coordination of care, it ranked dead last on access and cost, by a sufficient margin to rank dead last overall. The breakdowns are in the chart above.

Conservative pundits hastened to explain away these results after the report was published. See Aaron Carroll for a gloss on the "zombie arguments" put forth against the clear evidence that the U.S. system falls short.

The U.S. healthcare system: worst in the developed world

U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World
U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst in the Developed World

All crap.

First of all the WHO is stupid.

Next, the country has very different models and performance in different places.

Why would I would to be homogonized with a loser program ?

Sure padnah, sure, all of that was WHO stuff.

You are in the minority son, suck it up.

Not where I live.

 

[Slashsnake]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

 

[BlackFlag]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

 

[Slashsnake]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to live a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

 

[BlackFlag]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to life a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

Woah there now you're talking about providing the middle class with healthcare? Are you secretly John McCain? Get out of here, RINO.

 

[Slashsnake]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to life a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

Woah there now you're talking about providing the middle class with healthcare? Are you secretly John McCain? Get out of here, RINO.

That's the problem with you Democrats, you're the party of the poor, not the middle class.

People now realize this and the Democrats will continue to lose more seats in Washington. How many have they lost since 2009?

 

[BlackFlag]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to life a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

Woah there now you're talking about providing the middle class with healthcare? Are you secretly John McCain? Get out of here, RINO.

That's the problem with you Democrats, you're the party of the poor, not the middle class.

People now realize this and the Democrats will continue to lose more seats in Washington. How many have they lost since 2009?

Hey RINO, more people in the middle class have healthcare now than before the ACA. We need to completely strip the middle class and lower class peasants of healthcare so that WE can have better healthcare. Don't be an establishment sheep.

 

[Slashsnake]

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to life a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

Woah there now you're talking about providing the middle class with healthcare? Are you secretly John McCain? Get out of here, RINO.

That's the problem with you Democrats, you're the party of the poor, not the middle class.

People now realize this and the Democrats will continue to lose more seats in Washington. How many have they lost since 2009?

Hey RINO, more people in the middle class have healthcare now than before the ACA. We need to completely strip the middle class and lower class peasants of healthcare so that WE can have better healthcare. Don't be an establishment sheep.

That is because they are told to buy it or pay a tax penalty.

America is supposed to be a free country, don't tell me to buy health insurance and then fine me for not doing so.

Insurance shouldn't be income based (which is why those who don't work get free insurance). Everyone should be paying for their insurance based on coverage needs.

 

[Conservative65]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended. That means funding risk corridors, expanding Medicaid, enforcing the mandate, and committing to payment of subsidies. And that's just correcting the GOP sabotage. When that's done, time to finally resume work on improving healthcare in the U.S. Something that republicans have prevented since 2010.

It's time that those getting a subsidy start providing for themselves instead of expecting someone else to help support them.

When a program is designed to create more leeches, it needs to be undone.

If someone can't provide coverage for him/herself, feel free to subsidize it with your money. No one owes them a damn thing.

 

[Conservative65]

Expand medicaid for what? People who don't work a full time job? I'm tired of paying for the lazy people's healthcare while the middle class is stuck paying expensive employer sponsored plans or don't have any health insurance at all. The expansion of Medicaid is one reason why the national debt skyrocketed under Odipshit. Get the idea of the enforced or expanded mandate out of your head because the American people don't want it, nor will it ever be enforced again... Obamacare was the knife in the Democrat's chance to ever take the majority in Congress or the White House again.

You're probably a fat, smelly, unintelligent loser, so you come here so you come here to voice your support for your heavily subsidized insurance plan the middle and upper class pays for.

My apologies. I only just became a Trump supporter yesterday. People on Medicaid should have care removed and die to make room for the rest of us. Fuck them. In fact, I would support rounding them up and tossing them into mass graves. #MAGA

And the people in the middle class should go without insurance while those who don't work get to life a healthy lifestyle? Dude just shut the fuck up, you're another clueless buffoon who doesn't know anything about the real world. Keep living in your mom's basement.

Woah there now you're talking about providing the middle class with healthcare? Are you secretly John McCain? Get out of here, RINO.

That's the problem with you Democrats, you're the party of the poor, not the middle class.

People now realize this and the Democrats will continue to lose more seats in Washington. How many have they lost since 2009?

Hey RINO, more people in the middle class have healthcare now than before the ACA. We need to completely strip the middle class and lower class peasants of healthcare so that WE can have better healthcare. Don't be an establishment sheep.

That means more people are relying on taxpayers to provide them something they're unwilling to provide themselves. If the only way you can afford something is a subsidy, you're still not buying it yourself. Someone else is foot at least part of the bill for your sorry ass.

My healthcare was perfectly fine BEFORE Obamacare. No need to change.

 

[dblack]

This is why republicans need to work with the Democrats to undo the ongoing sabotage to the ACA and implement the plan in the spirit that was intended.

The "spirit that was intended" is the core problem with ACA.