Americans get least bang for buck on health care
One of the questions I get asked all the time here in the US is about the differences in the healthcare systems between Canada and the US. One of the misperceptions I hear all the time is that, although healthcare costs a fortune here, the quality of care is superior. People in the USA regularly hear about waiting lists in Canada for various procedures, to which I usually counter that one of the reasons the wait times for certain things might be shorter here is that only a minority of the actual population can afford to get those tests done. It’s easier to get access to a doctor if many of your fellow citizens can never afford to see one.
The following story, which it’s important to point out shows that Canada still has a long way to go, is worth reading in full.
WASHINGTON — Americans get the poorest health care and yet pay the most compared to five other rich countries, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Germany, Britain, Australia and Canada all provide better care for less money, the Commonwealth Fund report found.
“The U.S. health care system ranks last compared with five other nations on measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes,” the non-profit group which studies health care issues said in a statement.
Canada rates second worst out of the five overall. Germany scored highest, followed by Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Source: globeandmail.com: Americans get least bang for buck on health care: report:
I should also point out that my family has had fantastic care here in the US. I should also point out that my employer pays well over ten times more than what my employer paid back in Canada for healthcare premiums.
1 comment
Maybe its about time for the U.S. to make a little research on how these countries manage to give the best health care services, and restructure their findings into a system that applies to their country.