Does America have the best healthcare system?

[DrAdams]

Yes

No

[wolfcat87]

It depends on which part you are comparing.

Insurance costs are a pain, but we pay lower taxes than most countries.

Emergency response time is pretty excellent in many areas. A helicopter will reach my house in 5 minutes, local EMS in 5 minutes, and city EMS in 15 minutes since I live out of town.

Medical treatment options are the best here compared to anywhere. Their costs can be pretty intense depending on what they are.

Getting a doctor is rough, because our doctors are the most educated in the world. That makes their numbers fewer, and we are attempting to make up the difference with doctor supervised physician's assistants and more educated nurses who know nearly as much as doctors. There are very few medical schools in the U. S., so few can be trained at once. There are off shore options that are cheaper and easier to get into, but most people won't choose to attend them because of the distance.

Doctors aren't that well paid compared to the debt and career set backs they face while attending college. Some get around it by joining the military or signing contracts to work for specific places for 5 years after, but those involved being tied down and limiting your earning potential for years.

All of the medical shortages lead to long wait times unless you memorize which places are less busy and when and have flexible insurance.

Overall, it's a system that's great but has major flaws as well. There's no way to fix those flaws without actually lowering the great parts to average or lower. So, keeping it close to the way it is will be the only thing keeping us from getting exactly what everyone else gets and stunting innovation when it comes to medical research and new medicines.

I would rate it better than most, but I can't say it's the best. It's competitive for Top 10 if we can fix costs. We were ranked 4th in the world and dropped in the past few years.

https://freopp.org/united-states-11-in-the-2022-world-index-of-healthcare-innovation-7175b47ab5d7

[rosemilk]

nope. you go in debt here. but at least you'll be seen at a reasonable time. unlike Canada. where it takes months. but then, the doctors aren't all that great here, so you likely won't be helped with the best service.

[RavVid]

I think why that is claimed - and reasonably - is because a lot of innovation happens in the US so the cutting edge is probably more accessible in the US..

Access to medical care is better elsewhere. I can see a GP for zero cost. Our gov't negotiates with big pharma on our behalf to get the best deal on medicines. If I need to see a specialist and I can't wait it will cost me a fair amount but it is subsidized. To see an eye specialist recently cost $150 after a $100 subsidy.

Had I been willing to wait it would have cost me 0.

We take the view that there is a greater societal cost of poor health outcomes. In my case there was a risk of blindness occurring. Australia is better off ensuring I can work productively for a long time to come at a total cost of $400 over 4 years. That money will be recouped in taxes many times over. It is a no-brainer for the gov't to do this calculation.

HOWEVER all Western countries find most of the cost is in the high cost tail for example drug addicts and the elderly. I don't know the real numbers but it is like the 90/10 rule. 10% of people consume 90% of the cost. You'll get the idea without substantiated numbers.

[patrick994]

I think the American healthcare system has obvious strengths, such as medical innovation and access to advanced treatments. However, I cannot ignore the challenges related to accessibility and affordability of care. The lack of a universal healthcare system can lead to disparities in medical care and many people face difficulties due to high costs and limited access. I believe the resources and expertise are there to provide excellent healthcare for all, but perhaps the way the system is structured needs to be reconsidered to ensure greater equity and accessibility for all citizens.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Nope, they don't. Our City has Penn Mon Valley Hospital no better than when they had the other name to their Hospital, Mon Valley Hospital. We have many doctors can't be trusted. You go down to Jefferson Hospital / Allegheny Health Network and treatment is better.

[BoopBoopBeep]

My insurance caps my annual expenses at 4k, which I otherwise would always exceed by a factor of 10x plus. I can see any specialist I want/need by no later than the end of the week if not tomorrow. As someone who needs a lot of them, I'll take that over Canada's (or the VA's) six-month wait any day of the week.

[lightbulb27]

I say no.

It's hard to get a Dr. now

It's expensive

It's based upon drugs, which are a mask.

We may have the best ER and diagnosis, but the solutions are corrupted.

We may have some of the best solutions... but Europe in some cases, has had better.

[goaded]

Are you joking? Organisations that bring medical care to African countries also operate in the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Area_Medical

[Sirenboobzilla]

We have great medical professionals. But our healthcare system is utter garbage. Hospitals, insurance and large pharmaceutical companies reap all the reward off of people who just need good care.

[Levin]

It's not so good if it bankrupts you to use it, or they 'don't cover existing conditions'. Which means you're fucked, right? I guess if you're well off it's good.

[goaded]

You have to pay, here, too. 15Euros for a ambulance ride. 10 for a night in hospital. 5 for some prescriptions (good for weeks or months). 0 for others.

[wolfcat87]

They have to cover pre existing conditions now.

[goaded]

@wolfcat87 Until the PPACA gets repealed, like Republicans want to.

[Levin]

On the private health care plans in the UK, when they're advertised , they always say, does not cover pre-existing conditions. Which tells me it's a shower of shite. I mean, the UK one is far from perfect, very far from perfect. But I do not envy the US one because you're fucked if you're not well off.

[Jessica405]

I think UK is best in the woorld. Back in December, I had an eye op under a GA. Staff and consultants were amazing. All free at point of use. Paid for by general taxation.

[goaded]

I would have agreed with you, except for a couple of situations where a woman collapsed on the street when I was there and another woman lost a good part of a finger in an accident when my daughter was there. No ambulance was available for either. Now I'm of the opinion that, despite it having a similar structure to the US, the German health services are better. Both are seriously better than the US, though.

[Jessica405]

@goaded I agree we do have serious issues in UK. Emergency situations seem low priority.

I cannot complain about my treatment, neither can my mum, who went for breast cancer surgery about 18 months ago.

[goaded]

It is a bloody marvel, I'm sure it's doing much better since it got an injection of £350 million a week. What, it didn't go to the NHS? What, it was more like £250 million? What, the Tories don't like the NHS?

The first five words were not sarcasm, by the way. It's an excellent system, just under funded.

[Jessica405]

@goaded Too many managers. Unproductive ones!

[goaded]

Why isn't there a parallel system of ambulances, which are just for picking up the "walking wounded" or non-serious cases?

[Jessica405]

@goaded There is, sort of. There are a group of volunteers who arrange transport to and from hospitals. You do have to book in advance, but if you have an appointment, it is not a problem.

[goaded]

I agree, doctors would be better off with people working for them to keep track of the money, rather than working for people controlling the money (and getting paid accordingly).

[Anonymous]

What kind of dumbass question is this. The whole world knows it stinks.

[wiltingrosepetal]

you're joking 😭

[DarkWinterNights]

It used to. When I was younger it was better and cheaper. Now it’s more expensive, and the level of care isn’t even half as good as it used to be. All most doctors care about is treating the symptoms.

[milyjohn]

Canadians laugh at our healthcare system, but when push comes to shove, if they can afford it, they all come to America.

[msc545]

No that is yet another lie that you're pushing. Why do you keep spreading lies?

[milyjohn]

@msc545
Show me a link where it's a lie. Are you Canadian?

[milyjohn]

[milyjohn]

[milyjohn]

[milyjohn]

@msc545

[msc545]

"Some" is not the same as "many". US healthcare is high quality - no argument there. The problem is that many people cannot afford it.

[milyjohn]

@msc545

Why did you lie and say that Canadians don't come to America for healthcare?

[msc545]

I didn't say that.

[milyjohn]

You said I was spreading lies, and I proved that you’re wrong. Deal with it.

[msc545]

IF they can afford it. That is also true for Americans. Any idea what a brain MRI costs here?

[milyjohn]

Why did you call me a liar?

[abc3643]

If you can afford it, yes. So, that's like 1% of the population.

[exitseven]

Yes, no matter what liberals say it is the best. Rich people all over the world come to the US when they have a serious problem.

[msc545]

The US has generally high quality healthcare that almost nobody can afford. How does that make it the best?

[exitseven]

@msc545 if you can afford it, it can't be beat. I pay extra for a so called caddilac plan. I go anywhere I want and see just about any doc.

[msc545]

And what if you couldn't afford it then what I won't argue with? The quality is great because it is. Again. The problem is that almost nobody can afford it. Not really. That means they don't get any health care and no health care is the worst possible thing I can think of short of defective healthcare which we are not talking about.

[exitseven]

@msc545 not everyone can drive a Lamborghini and. not everyone gets to vacation in Hawaii.

[msc545]

True. But - everyone should have a right to access decent health care without going broke doing it.

[exitseven]

@msc545 I used to have really shitty health insurance when my kids were little. I worked really hard to train for a good career that had good benefits. Nobody came with a magic wand and just gave it to me.

[msc545]

I think good health care is a human right. Nobody should have to work their ass off for it.

[exitseven]

@msc545 So who pays for it all? Would you like to give up your nice life so that people everywhere in the world can have unlimited access to the best healthcare in the world. That is what it would take.

[msc545]

We pay for it all. Just like we pay for everything. Use some of the money that's being used to provide socialism for defense contractors for healthcare instead.

[Astarlessnightsky]

The worst. Its the most expensive one and the care it provides its mediocre at best.

[Simslover92]

Nope which is why I want to move to a country with free healthcare like Canada.

[Theodoricus]

I leave the word to mein f. hrer.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6hxG_apfh7E

[Snakeyes7]

All we have to do is to get the government to not accept the lobbying (bribery) from big pharma and letting them get away with their anti-consumer practices.

[msc545]

You must be kidding with this question. US has arguably the worst healthcare system in the world.

[goaded]

It's not the worst, unless you count the cost of it. I'm sure some countries have next to no medical facilities, but they don't get to spend $10,000 of tax money per person, either.

[msc545]

No, the quality is actually very good. In general. The actual problem is that almost nobody can afford the care because it is so unreasonably expensive due to the fact that between you and the people that provide the health care, there are literally hundreds of people and companies breaking off huge profits as usual. Welcome to capitalism.

[Anonymous]

As far as care yes. But when you factor in billing and administration no. It falls tremendously then.

[KrakenAttackin]

If you have truck loads of money, yes, otherwise, no.

[jjj101010]

No. It may have a higher level of care but the system is shit

[IslaTheWitch]

I would vote for German health care :P

[Anonymous]

Yes. But only if you have money.

[Bella2423]

It is advanced but not for everyone

[Paul09]

America Canada yes. USA no.

[TadBehaya]

Lol i dont think so

[Luméa]

I don't think so.

[jimmy2]

Not anymore