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Exactly, the US has many of the leading (highest quality) medical specialists, which you would expect from the richest country with the best research university
by Tenhundfeld 10y ago
Exactly, the US has many of the leading (highest quality) medical specialists, which you would expect from the richest country with the best research university system.
That does not mean the US has the highest quality healthcare in terms of health outcomes for the population.
If anyone reading this believes we (the US) have the highest quality health outcomes, please do some research with an open mind. We're not terrible, just far worse than you'd expect given our wealth. We are actually great in some cases, e.g., certain types of cancer treatment (I think, don't have stats at hand). But in many, many categories, our outcomes are middle of the pack or towards the bottom for developed countries. For example, IIRC, we're quite middling/mediocre in life expectancy, infant mortality, heart attack mortality, % of diabetics with managed care, efficiency of spend, etc.
- Consultant32452 10y ago> For example, IIRC, we're quite middling/mediocre in life expectancy, infant mortality, heart attack mortality, % of diabetics with managed care, efficiency of spend, etc. Life expectancy, infant mortality, and heart attack mortality are directly related to our culture more than access to health care. Go look at our obesity rates. Do you think not having to pay a copay to go to a doctor would fix that?
- Tenhundfeld 10y agoOK, I'm done debating this with you. You seem to have an unfalisfiable belief that our mediocre health outcomes are due to problems in our general culture. In other words, all of the good outcomes are due to us having the highest quality healthcare, and all of the bad outcomes are due to culture. I disagree. I believe that a) our healthcare system is part of our general culture and b) deficiencies in our healthcare system contribute to our health outcomes. I don't think we'll bridge that gap in the HN comment section. Have a great weekend. Cheers.
- Consultant32452 10y agoUS obesity rate: 36% Swedish obesity rate: 18% US life expectancy: 79 years Sweden life expectancy: 81 years It is falsifiable. When I talk about culture I'm talking about things like smoking rates, obesity rates, etc. These things are totally unrelated to whether or not you pay a copay to go to a doctor. If you think our relative life expectancy has nothing to do with our obesity rates, then I'm sorry but you just don't need to be making statements about healthcare at all.
- Tenhundfeld 10y agoI hear ya. I think a healthcare system can affect smoking rates and obesity rates. You disagree. Likewise, I disagree that "paying a copay to go to a doctor" is really the crux of the issue. Maybe we'll meet one day by happenstance and have a richer discussion on this complicated topic. Have a good one.
- vacri 10y agoIt's weird that you're so fixated on obesity as the only driver of poor healthcare outcomes.
- Consultant32452 10y agoand smoking, which I specifically mentioned, and teen birth rates. I mean of course the biggest one is obesity since heart disease is the leading cause of death.
- Joof 10y agoYou may be right. But our government still pays into healthcare as much as Sweden, but then we pay out of pocket on top of it. How much marginal value is gained from the huge expense?
- Joof 10y agoYou may be right. But our government still pays into healthcare as much as Sweden, but they don't pay out of pocket on top of it. How much marginal value is gained from the huge expense?