In the Nov/Dec issue of Missouri Medicine (110:6, 450–451, 2013), a litany of items attempts to explain away the many shortfalls of the United States health care system. Rather than explaining our deficiencies away, wouldn’t it be better to ask what the medical profession could do to improve health, life expectancy and quality of life? Wouldn’t it be more productive to see that the many areas where American medicine excels are available to all Americans?
The author asks whether “a better assessment of a health care system’s effectiveness is how it addresses actual illnesses.” That is one valid assessment but it overlooks our dreadful performance in the prevention of “actual illnesses.” Shouldn’t we be focusing more on the delivery of primary care, preventive measures and the broad concept of “public health?” With our great wealth and medical capability we can find the means to provide universal access to comprehensive health care.
We spend more than any other country on earth for health care and we do not produce the best results. Some 31% of health care spending supports a wasteful, complicated insurance system while the public Medicare system operates with an overhead of less than 5%. Wouldn’t it be fiscally prudent to stop this waste?
We could correct the shortcomings of the Medicare system and offer it to all Americans and thereby decrease the restrictions and lack of choice imposed by insurance companies, reduce health care disparities and the malpractice burden and save money.
We have the potential to be the best. We should be working toward that goal for the benefit of all.