American healthcare is excellent at keeping people alive that would probably have died under other healthcare systems. That is, it extends the long tail out, wi

American healthcare is excellent at keeping people alive that would probably have died under other healthcare systems. That is, it extends the long tail out, with rapidly increasing marginal costs (in a "money is no object" situation). This is why a lot of people who could afford to go anywhere and obtain any medical treatment they want often come to the US for it. It's not so good at keeping regular people healthy so that they don't need expensive care to begin with; though I'm not sure if this can be blamed on the "healthcare system" per se, versus cultural or educational factors. The average American is quite unhealthy. It's quite bad at delivering routine care at reasonable prices. Get in a car wreck and break your leg? Want to deliver a baby at a hospital? It will get done at high standards and short wait times, but the bill if you're uninsured or underinsured will be eye-watering. This is a result of broken incentive systems surrounding healthcare in America, and probably deserves a lot of policy attention.