A report by the Commonwealth Fund has ranked the United States health system as the worst among 10 peer nations. Despite Americans paying double the amount for healthcare compared to other countries, the US system performed poorly on health equity, access to care, and outcomes. The president of the Commonwealth Fund, Dr Joseph Betancourt, highlighted the human toll of these shortcomings, with patients struggling to afford medications or arriving sicker due to lack of insurance.
The report comes at a time when healthcare costs are a top concern for voters, with both Democratic and Republican nominees addressing the issue in their campaigns. However, concrete proposals for healthcare reform are lacking. The report recommends expanding insurance coverage, reducing out-of-pocket expenses, simplifying insurance plans, investing in primary care and public health, and addressing social wellbeing to improve the US health system.
The Commonwealth Fund’s report is the 20th in their series comparing the US health system to other wealthy democracies. The US ranked last or near the last in most categories, with the foundation calling it a “portrait of a failing US health system.” Recommendations for improvement will not be easy to implement, but experts emphasize the importance of addressing these issues for the health and wellbeing of all Americans.
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