A comprehensive new report ranks the U.S. healthcare system last among rich nations regarding access to care, administrative efficiency, equity, and healthcare outcomes.
Jake Johnson reported on August 4th in Common Dreams, “The United States spends far more of its GDP on healthcare than other rich countries yet still has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates, the lowest life expectancy at age 60, and the most glaring inequities, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund."
The report concludes that “four features distinguish top performing countries from the United States: 1) they provide for universal coverage and remove cost barriers; 2) they invest in primary care systems to ensure that high-value services are equitably available in all communities to all people; 3) they reduce administrative burdens that divert time, efforts, and spending from health improvement efforts; and 4) they invest in social services, especially for children and working-age adults.”
For U.S. Congressional Representative Pramila Jayapal, the lead House sponsor of the Medicare for All Act of 2021, the solution is clear: "There's no question: our cruel, for-profit healthcare system is broken. It's time to fix it. It's time to guarantee health care as a human right. It's time for Medicare for All."
Read Jake Johnson’s article here. Check out more of the report’s conclusions here.
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