Introduction

The U.S. often falls short in achieving the same levels of health for the same cost as other countries, despite boasting impressive life expectancy and child mortality rates. This article explores the reasons behind this discrepancy, emphasizing the role of preventive care, an inefficient healthcare system, and political and constitutional obstacles.

Preventive Care vs. Emergency Care

It is far cheaper and more effective to treat illnesses before they become emergencies. However, the U.S. healthcare system often forces patients to delay treatment due to a lack of adequate insurance, sick pay, and employment security. This results in an expensive and inefficient system, as the cost of treating late-stage illnesses far exceeds the cost of preventative care. For instance, treating a simple case of pneumonia early on is significantly less costly than treating a severely ill patient who has already spread the infection to others and requires emergency room admission.

Universal Health Care: Why It Works

Universal health care systems, seen in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, have proven to be more cost-effective and efficient. By treating patients early, these systems ensure that illnesses do not progress to more severe stages, thus reducing overall healthcare costs. For example, a course of antibiotics and a week of rest at home are far less expensive than emergency room care and hospitalization. This principle is the foundation of why universal health care works, as it prioritizes timely interventions over costly emergency care.

Healthcare System Inefficiencies in the U.S.

The U.S. healthcare system faces significant inefficiencies due to its federal structure, which leaves health care largely to the states. This fragmented approach leads to high administrative and operational costs, as each state has its own set of regulations, insurance policies, and healthcare services. Furthermore, the costs of implementing a single, nationwide healthcare system become prohibitively high when you account for the 50 separate states.

Political and Constitutional Obstacles

There are powerful political forces against expanding federal healthcare programs in the U.S.

The Republican Party, with its staunch constitutionalists, has vowed to block any federal healthcare initiatives, reminiscent of their successful efforts to undermine Obamacare.

These political obstacles make it nearly impossible to implement a universal healthcare system at the federal level. For instance, Medicare, a federal program funded through mandatory payroll taxes, was only implemented after a long and intense political debate. Even so, the efforts to test out a universal system at the state level are complicated by the fact that the U.S. allows complete freedom of movement between states. This means that states must address how to provide care for people with pre-existing conditions who have previously lived in other states.

The rigidity of the U.S. political system has also led to inefficiencies during the current coronavirus pandemic. Instead of coordinating a national response, the burden of implementing a response to the virus has been placed on the 50 different states and the capital city of Washington D.C. This has resulted in a fragmented and ineffective response, leaving the U.S. with the highest number of cases and deaths compared to any other country.

Conclusion

The U.S. struggles to achieve the same level of health outcomes for the same cost as other countries primarily due to its inefficient healthcare system and political opposition to universal healthcare. By embracing more preventative care and adopting a more cohesive national healthcare strategy, the U.S. could potentially address these issues and improve its healthcare outcomes.