| The U.S. doesn't get its money's worth when it | | | | percent of Americans surveyed found it |
| comes to healthcare, according to recent | | | | "somewhat" or "very difficult" to receive care on |
| statistics. The Commonwealth Fund released a | | | | nights or weekends. |
| report earlier this month on America's ranking in | | | | What is most shocking perhaps, is the relatively |
| the world healthcare system -- and it wasn't good. | | | | high infant mortality rate, at 5 in every 1,000. The |
| According to the report, residents of the United | | | | U.S. is tied with Poland, Hungary, Malta, and |
| States receive the poorest quality of care, yet | | | | Slovakia for this statistic, and, among the 32 |
| pay the most for it, among six of the top | | | | industrialized nations surveyed, ranked only above |
| industrialized nations, including Germany, Great | | | | Latvia, at 6 in every 1,000 births. Japan, the |
| Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The | | | | Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, and Norway beat |
| findings were based on measures including quality, | | | | the U.S. by a landslide, at approximately one-third |
| access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes of | | | | the death rate. Every year, 16,000 newborn |
| healthcare. Germany took the overall first place | | | | deaths occur in this country, mostly linked with |
| ranking, followed by Great Britain, Australia, New | | | | low birth weights and premature delivery. This |
| Zealand, and Canada. | | | | suggests a surprising lack of prenatal care and, |
| While the other five nations on the list provide | | | | indeed, measures of mothers' well-being ranks |
| universal healthcare, the U.S., with its unorganized | | | | extremely low in comparison to other |
| mixture of employer-funded care, private | | | | industrialized nations. |
| insurance, and government programs, leaves | | | | African-Americans suffer almost twice the |
| nearly 48 million throughout the country with no | | | | national average of infant mortality, at 9 in every |
| insurance whatsoever. Ominously, the Fund also | | | | 1,000 -- which is closer to developing nations' |
| linked lack of insurance with poorer quality of care | | | | statistics than to industrialized ones. Black babies |
| in another report released this month. | | | | born in the U.S. are also twice as likely to be |
| Texas ranks at the very bottom of the nation in | | | | premature and have a low birth rate than their |
| numbers of people left uninsured, at just over | | | | white counterparts. |
| 25%. With high incidences of poverty, | | | | Throw in scandals -- like drug companies enticing |
| unemployment, and chronic diseases, such as | | | | doctors with "free" gifts and dinners to sell their |
| diabetes, the state stands to gain more than | | | | medications, or multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical |
| most by measures to update the healthcare and | | | | company investments in medical schools -- and it |
| or to make insurance available to more of the | | | | looks like a gloomy picture, indeed. Michael Moore's |
| population. Most of those lacking insurance do not | | | | summer release of Sicko, though sure to be |
| receive pertinent preventative care, resulting in | | | | controversial, undeniably raises a subject on the |
| increased long-term costs to health, as well as to | | | | national consciousness. |
| the state and federal governments. | | | | While it is painfully obvious that something must |
| Particularly in the larger cities of Dallas, Houston, | | | | be done -- and quickly -- the next step is not so |
| and Austin -- where many from rural areas of the | | | | clear. States such as Hawaii and Massachusetts |
| state come seeking care, overburdening the | | | | have taken their own initiatives with |
| system further -- change would be welcomed. | | | | state-provided health insurance, resulting in nearly |
| Activists and members of Congress are calling for | | | | 90% of their residents having insurance, and |
| an overhaul of the overburdened and outdated | | | | therefore better access to care. California has |
| system, with suggestions ranging from instituting | | | | debated its own measures, as well as many |
| America's own universal healthcare, to subsidizing | | | | Midwestern states. |
| private insurance companies in order to make | | | | It's not a straight-forward debate, by any means. |
| healthcare coverage available to all, regardless of | | | | While nations providing universal healthcare rank |
| income. | | | | higher in overall standings, the U.S. is still |
| Obviously, it's an issue that needs to be closely | | | | considered a leader when it comes to |
| analyzed, as it is "pretty undisputable that we | | | | breakthrough technologies and treatment options. |
| spend twice what other countries spend on | | | | A balance must be struck between revolutionary |
| average," as reported by The Commonwealth | | | | research and making sure more people actually |
| Fund. While, in comparison to other industrialized | | | | have access to its results. Reports on new HIV |
| nations, the U.S. has the fewest patients seeing a | | | | drugs, for instance, hint that turning HIV and AIDS |
| regular doctor (16%), is the least wired (working | | | | into a chronic, versus fatal, condition is just around |
| with the fewest electronic records, and receiving | | | | the corner...but those medications are expensive, |
| the fewest electronic updates on disease | | | | and not everyone in the U.S. has access to them. |
| treatment options), and has one of the highest | | | | Residents of the U.S., however, have done little to |
| infant mortality rates, we are actually spending | | | | push the initiative. The surprising lack of attention |
| twice as much per capita on healthcare as | | | | on the issue in political debates reflects the fact |
| Germany, at $6,102. Canada spends $3,165 per | | | | that voters do not choose their candidate |
| capita, Australia $2,876, Britain $2,546, and New | | | | primarily based on his or her plans for future |
| Zealand $2,083. | | | | healthcare reform. And, time and again, it has |
| The U.S. also has one of the longest emergency | | | | been proven that the masses' outspoken push for |
| room waiting times, takes an average of four | | | | measures is what gets things done on Capitol Hill. |
| months to deliver elective surgery, and is | | | | In the end, it's really time for us -- the people -- |
| considered one of the less "convenient" nations | | | | to decide how to dig ourselves out of this one. |
| when it comes to general healthcare. Sixty-one | | | | |