Why does healthcare cost so much in America?

[OldWiseGuy]

Some familiar reasons, and some new ones.

Why Does Health Care Cost so Much in America? Ask Harvard's David Cutler

 

[Goonie]

Some familiar reasons, and some new ones.

Why Does Health Care Cost so Much in America? Ask Harvard's David Cutler

Indeed. It is astonishing how much America is willing to pay not to have 'socialised' medicine. It's a bit like cutting ones nose of to spite yourself.

 

[WolfGate]

I am disappointed in the resistance Americans have to seriously examining the health care systems of our peer nations and studying if there are things they do that we could adopt to lower the overall cost of health care and raise the effectiveness.

 

[777Sloan]

Why does healthcare cost so much in America?

Certainly with being among the more expensive healthcare systems, it would seem quality should likewise correspond...however, the reality be a lot of people make a lot of money on disease.

...To the point that, it could be financially ill-advisable to let knowledge of the many cures for various conditions become public knowledge.

I suppose the answer to your question could be summed up with:

Profit before people.

 

[logicality]

Health care is bad in the countries where it is ran by the state..I've heard from people from those countries. Very long waiting periods and such. Say what you want, private will always be more efficient.

I'd like to think there could be a way where we could ensure everyone had the same quality healthcare, while at the same time keeping it private. Maybe a sort of loan system for the people that cannot afford what they need? Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

 

[Goonie]

Health care is bad in the countries where it is ran by the state..I've heard from people from those countries. Very long waiting periods and such. Say what you want, private will always be more efficient.

I'd like to think there could be a way where we could ensure everyone had the same quality healthcare, while at the same time keeping it private. Maybe a sort of loan system for the people that cannot afford what they need? Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

More efficient? The us pays more in public money than any other country as % of GDP. Individually on top of paying those taxes you then have to pay the insurance, paying excesses etc. to take advantage of the most subsidised healthcare in the world!

its great if you are wealthy, great job with benefits, but if you have an existing condition or in the millions of low paid jobs it must suck big time.

It is only Efficient at racking up the profits for pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, etc.

 

[SnowyMacie]

A video by someone else that says the same things, but a bit more simplified and not in interview form...

Indeed. It is astonishing how much America is willing to pay not to have 'socialised' medicine. It's a bit like cutting ones nose of to spite yourself.

I am disappointed in the resistance Americans have to seriously examining the health care systems of our peer nations and studying if there are things they do that we could adopt to lower the overall cost of health care and raise the effectiveness.

What I think a lot of GOP politicians and people who support them don't understand, or choose to ignore, is that healthcare is an inelastic demand because you can't put a price on not dying. In cases of inelastic demand, buying power is more important than competition when it comes to lowering prices. We actually pay more in taxes per capita for healthcare than in countries that actually have "socialized" medicine.

 

[Goonie]

A video by someone else that says the same things, but a bit more simplified and not in interview form...

What I think a lot of GOP politicians and people who support them don't understand, or choose to ignore, is that healthcare is an inelastic demand because you can't put a price on not dying. In cases of inelastic demand, buying power is more important than competition when it comes to lowering prices. We actually pay more in taxes per capita for healthcare than in countries that actually have "socialized" medicine.

I know. In the US Americans are paying twice for their healthcare. Once through their taxes and then again either through directly paying for treatment, or through insurance. Insane!

 

[JackRT]

A few years ago (before the ACA) in a major speech the president of the New England Academy of Medicine commented that the quality and quantity of health care in Canada was on a par with the USA. He went on to point out that on a per capita basis Canadian medicare cost 40% less than comparable medical insurance in the USA and at that time about 40% of USAnians could not afford private medical insurance. He also added that a good portion of that 40% were a month away from financial ruin in the event of a medical crisis coupled with loss of income. No Canadian is in that situation.

When Saskatchewan introduced universal medicare some 50 years ago I remember the howls of protest and predictions of doom and gloom. About 5 years later all of Canada had universal medicare. In my entire adult life I have never paid a cent for health care . Prescription and dental costs are insured privately. Since turning 65 my prescriptions are paid as well. Over the years I have had seven operations and four hospital stays, two of them extended and numerous diagnostic procedures.

Several years ago a major TV network in Canada ran a major series and vote to determine Canada's greatest hero. Hundreds of nominations were recieved and then whittled down to ten or twelve. They then prepared an hour long documentary on the life and achievements of each one of them. Canadians voted overwhelmingly for Tommy Douglas, the firey little Baptist preacher turned socialist politician, who is regarded as the 'Father of Medicare' in Canada. It is my sincere hope that the USA will some day have a universal medicare system comparable to what we enjoy in Canada.

A few years ago a friend was vacationing in Florida. He likes to bicycle but he took a bad fall and had his wife drive him to a hospital ER. He was there a couple of hours and recieved prompt and professional care. They gave him an x-ray, a tetanus shot, a half dozen stitches and cleaned up his road rash. The bill was $1800.00 !!! They returned to Canada and he went in to his own doctor to have the stitches removed. The doctor commented that if an American recieved the identical treatment in a Canadian hospital ER he would have been charged less than $200.00

Comparative outcomes -------- Canada / US :
per capita medical spending --- $4500 / $8500
percent of GDP ---------------------11.2 / 17.7
public share –---------------------- 70% / 48%,
doctors per 1000 -------------------- 2.4 / 2.5
nurses per 1000 ----------------------9.3 / 11.1
life expectancy ----------------------- 81 / 79
smoking rate --------------------- 15.7% / 14.8%
obesity rate -----------------------25.4% / 36.5%.
As you can readily see, Canada achieves comparable or superior outcomes at close to half the expense and every citizen regardless of status or income has equal access.

 

[variant]

Health care is bad in the countries where it is ran by the state..I've heard from people from those countries. Very long waiting periods and such. Say what you want, private will always be more efficient.

We actually spend almost as much as most countries on socialized medicine, but it only covers the poor and the elderly.

Our "efficient" system already spends more per capita than Germany on public healthcare and then we spend privately almost as much again for our selves "privately".

American health care is JUST MORE EXPENCIVE. It is not the fact that it isn't socialized medicine, but most countries that do have socialized medicine do actually do things to control costs.

Source:
Health Costs: How the U.S. Compares With Other Countries

Also I see that someone already referenced Mr. Green (who makes this argument better) sorry.

 

[HerbieHeadley]

Indeed. It is astonishing how much America is willing to pay not to have 'socialised' medicine. It's a bit like cutting ones nose of to spite yourself.

The biggest "cost" of healthcare is the "administration" of healthcare that has nothing to do with your health. If you think government employees being in charge of "administration" is cost productive...

 

[HerbieHeadley]

A video by someone else that says the same things, but a bit more simplified and not in interview form...

What I think a lot of GOP politicians and people who support them don't understand, or choose to ignore, is that healthcare is an inelastic demand because you can't put a price on not dying. In cases of inelastic demand, buying power is more important than competition when it comes to lowering prices. We actually pay more in taxes per capita for healthcare than in countries that actually have "socialized" medicine.

I like the video but it is not considering the fact that our "baby boomers" are dying and we have a massive welfare state with a huge safety net that also drives these costs up.


His final point was we do not have a free market.

 

[Goonie]

The biggest "cost" of healthcare is the "administration" of healthcare that has nothing to do with your health. If you think government employees being in charge of "administration" is cost productive...

Actually the admin is in billing, a single payer system reduces admin costs significantly. Remember your paying more in public money for healthcare than anywhere in the world, including those with 'socialised' medicine its just that you have to pay on top of that if you want to be treated.

 

[HerbieHeadley]

Actually the admin is in billing, a single payer system reduces admin costs significantly. Remember your paying more in public money for healthcare than anywhere in the world, including those with 'socialised' medicine its just that you have to pay on top of that if you want to be treated.

Are you in the USA?

 

[Goonie]

Are you in the USA?

Thankfully not.
Here's a comparison of hospital admin costs.
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/pub...rature/2014/sep/hospital-administrative-costs
In the US 25% of hospital costs is admin compared to 16% Uk, 12% Canada, get the picture? In a country with per-patient billing admin costs mount up.

And yes, in the UK healthcare is approaching crisis die to a lack of funding, less than 9% of pubLie funding goes to healthcare, half that of the US. The Intention of the Uk govt to copy the US healthcare system.

 

[SnowyMacie]

I like the video but it is not considering the fact that our "baby boomers" are dying and we have a massive welfare state with a huge safety net that also drives these costs up.

Actually, we have one of the smallest welfare states and smallest safety nets in the developed world and we still pay more per capita in public healthcare, and most of us get no healthcare from it.

His final point was we do not have a free market.

No, actually, his final point is that we have a free market that causes us to have no buying power in our healthcare system.

 

[variant]

The biggest "cost" of healthcare is the "administration" of healthcare that has nothing to do with your health. If you think government employees being in charge of "administration" is cost productive...

Administration costs are universally lower under socialized medicine as you have fewer payers that need administration, and they spend less time trying to not pay for the healthcare you bought via insurance (deny your claims).

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

The US needs less government. Things were far better before the ACA. Flat out repeal, no replace.

 

[JohnHarthover]

Health care is bad in the countries where it is ran by the state..I've heard from people from those countries. Very long waiting periods and such. Say what you want, private will always be more efficient.

I'd like to think there could be a way where we could ensure everyone had the same quality healthcare, while at the same time keeping it private. Maybe a sort of loan system for the people that cannot afford what they need? Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

I come from one of those countries (Canada) and I currently live in New York. I also work mostly with people from Europe, whose healthcare used to be run by the state. All of us have "good" health insurance. I don't have a single colleague that would take America's health care system over the health care system run by the state they used to live in.

In the US, we have to chose between plans with deductibles or co-pays. Then, after getting a plan, we have to go to specific doctors or specific hospitals or we risk paying huge amounts of money. In Canada, I got a plan with no deductibles and no co-pays. Then I got to go to any doctor or hospital that I wanted to go to. Plus, while I would have to pay about the same in taxes for health care in both countries, in the US I have to pay for insurance on top of high taxes!

In Canada you get real freedom in health care, while in the US you get pretend freedom.

 

[JackRT]

I come from one of those countries (Canada) and I currently live in New York. I also work mostly with people from Europe, whose healthcare used to be run by the state. All of us have "good" health insurance. I don't have a single colleague that would take America's health care system over the health care system run by the state they used to live in.

In the US, we have to chose between plans with deductibles or co-pays. Then, after getting a plan, we have to go to specific doctors or specific hospitals or we risk paying huge amounts of money. In Canada, I got a plan with no deductibles and no co-pays. Then I got to go to any doctor or hospital that I wanted to go to. Plus, while I would have to pay about the same in taxes for health care in both countries, in the US I have to pay for insurance on top of high taxes!

In Canada you get real freedom in health care, while in the US you get pretend freedom.

I agree completely. As a Canadian, in my entire adult life I have never paid a cent for health care . Prescription and dental costs are insured privately. Since turning 65 my prescriptions are paid as well. Over the years I have had seven operations and four hospital stays, two of them extended and numerous diagnostic procedures. I have never experienced any untoward delay nor do I have any complaints. There is a huge amount of misinformation drifting around in the USA not only about health care in Canada and other western democracies but also about health care in the USA itself. Most of it is fake news being spread by people with a political agenda.