Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The U.S. Health Care System is Terrible, In 1 Enraging Chart
http://www.aufamily.com/forums/topic/135092-the-us-health-care-system-is-terrible-in-1-enraging-chart/ Due 9 December 2013. Read the graph and discuss the implications of our current health care system. Is it a big deal?? What solutions would you suggest to fix our health care system? Is health care a "right" in the U.S. Constitution?? Should the government be involved in fixing the health care system?
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Yes, among this group of big countries, the U.S. spends far and away more on health care than any other. And yet it has among the lowest life expectancies of any developed country. People live longer in pretty much every country in Europe, including Greece, where the economy has been wracked by austerity for years. Unlike many other countries, the government has no role in either providing care or setting prices, and so prices skyrocket. It's also too complex, which is one reason the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature reform law, has gotten off to such a bad start. We have to many crazies on the street and the government should defiantly intervene and fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't see that coming.
ReplyDeleteThe problem here is basically that the United States spends the most money on health care than any other country YET it's life expectancy doesn't reflect it. Generally the amount of health spending per capita has a positive relationship with the life expectancy of that country. The more you spend, the higher the life expectancy, right? Well, not for the United States. This situation stems from the fact there are no laws restricting prices from skyrocketing nor any to monitor the care provided. The article states that health care operates on a privatized system, so maybe if health care became publicly funded, the government could enforce more laws to make health care more affordable and efficient. The health care system wouldn't be built for profit if it was publicly funded. Health care isn't exactly a "right" of the constitution, the constitution states that it promotes welfare but does not provide for it. But in my opinion, health care should be a human right. People work and pay taxes all their lives. However, unfortunately everyone is susceptible to illness and with the high prices of health care, people cannot afford a chance to get help. If the United States is the only country spending so much on health care without better results, something definitely isn't right.
The healthcare system in the U.S. is beyond out of control. We have practically become a mockery among developed countries. Because of the recession, we take advantage of our citizens even more? Where's the sense in that? The distortion of our healthcare care of the proportion between life expectancy and healthcare spending per capita is so apparent that it's not even funny. Although it is not necessarily a Constitutional right, healthcare should be provided publicly. Government should most certainly interfere in this case because individuals are being taken advantage of.
ReplyDeleteIn the graph, it shows the relationship between a country's spending on health care and the life expectancy. It would make sense that a country that spends more money would have a higher life expectancy but this apparently isn't true for the US. This is a big deal since we are spending so much of our money to pay for these healthcare system but the result of it isn't significant, as compared with the other countries. To fix our healthcare system, I believe that we should allow health care programs to become a public feature of the US so that everyone is able to get it or apply for it. Although it may never happen, it should also become a system that only focuses on profits instead of the actual consumers. Healthcare isn't a right in the U.S. constitution but the government should still be involved in fixing the health care system nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at our healthcare system and how much money we spend on it and compare it to other countries it’s sad. The United States spends a huge amount of money on healthcare system but our life expectancy doesn’t reflect that. When we are compared to other countries it’s no competition because there spending reflect on the life expectancies. The more money you spend on a healthcare system the better life expectancy right is the logical way of looking at it. If the United States made the healthcare system more public, where more people will have access to it, it will do better most likely. The government should be interfering even though it’s not in the constitution because I still believe it is their duty to.
ReplyDeleteThe US definitely spends way more on health care than many of the other big countries in the world while having the lowest life expectancy rates than any of the other developed countries. I'd have to say there is an issue with the US spending so much money on health care only to have low life expectancy rates. To fix the health care system health care should be publicly funded so that the government can create more laws to make health care both more effective and inexpensive. Health care being provided by the government isn't necessarily considered a right in the constitution but should be. The government should definitely interfere and fix the health care system.
ReplyDeleteThis news is eye opening as well as shocking. It points out the massive flaws in a system of health care that is outside the realm of government control. The graph outlines the implications of our lack of government intervention. It shows that the US has among the lowest life expectancies of any developed country. and it also ironically way more expensive than any other country. This is a giant deal. I would propose a single payer system, as the article states. This system would introduce some form of government regulations to our current terrible system of health care, and would attempt to fix some of the massive problems inherent in ours. Although it is not a constitutional right, i wholeheartedly believe the government should be involved in fixing the health care system. This is evidenced by the our current health care system being absolute trash as a result of an absence of government control.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely hysterical. Americans pride themselves on being the best, being a world leader, being the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop, and yet, here we are again, failing to “live up,” for lack of a better word, to other countries.
ReplyDeleteI find it quite pathetic that we cannot stop and think of what is in our country’s best interest. I can’t say that I didn’t see it coming…I mean honestly have you seen the idiots in office? Our government is too busy acting like a bunch of immature imbeciles, fighting and spiting each other, in order to gain what exactly? Next elections votes for their party? Newsflash: DO YOUR DANG JOB!!!! Maybe that would help you get votes?
Sorry about my rant, I just felt I needed to get that out there. Anyway, lets get back to the original issue at hand. Healthcare.
Generally there is a direct correlation between the amount spent per capita on health care and a country’s life expectancy. Think about it, it makes perfect sense: The more you spend on health care, the higher life expectancy is.
So you world think, hey…if America spends the most on health care, Americans life expectancy will be one of the highest…right?
You’d be surprised to know, it doesn’t work that way for America.
America is spending more than any other country, and our life expectancy doesn’t match that.
Why? America’s health care system operates on a privatized system, meaning there are no laws to restrict or monitor its prices.
I’m not saying health care should be immediately publically funded, as I am not 100% sure it will fix the problem…as we all know, our government has a pretty long record of screwing up.
Health care isn’t a written right in our constitution, but as Nadia said the constitution does state that promotes the welfare of U.S. citizens…which practically implies health care as a right; though this is not the case.
At this point, I am pretty much praying that I have a long lost wealthy relative who has decided to leave me everything in their will.
The graph shows the relationship money spent on healthcare has on average life expectancy. It shows that compared to many other countries, the US spends way more on healthcare yet has one of the lowest life expectancies compared to other developed countries. This is a very big deal. The United States is spending all this money on healthcare and it is doing nothing to help us actually be healthy. Some of our health care statistics are even defeated by countries like Iran and Greece. There is not one short answer that can be used to describe a solution to all this. For starters, I think anyone who is involved in healthcare decisions should be proficient in economic concepts. I think America needs to stop trying to be hipster and simply copy someones healthcare system. If it works, I don't see why not. The Constitution does not outright say there needs to be healthcare but when it discusses the promotion of welfare, I believe it's implying some sort of system to promote health and well being. I think the government definitely needs to be involved in healthcare. This has worked in other countries and can work here. The people who are generally involved in the healthcare systems wish only to profit. The government needs to end this.
ReplyDeleteIt is very disturbing how much we spend on healthcare, yet our life expectancy does not come close to where it should be. This is a big deal because are pictured in the graph as the highest spender and we are not living as long as some countries that spend less than half of what we spend. To fix this we need public healthcare that everyone should be able to acquire. Some people might not see it this way but healthcare is a right of the constitution. This is because the preamble mentions the idea of promoting the general welfare. The government should intervene because otherwise, the citizens of the United States will never be granted the right they are entitled.
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ReplyDeleteThe implications of our health care system are a big deal. When put to scale we see what we’re really doing wrong. The government is not helping at all, as stated, “has no role in either providing care or setting prices,” To repair our health care system we should cut all this out of control senseless spending and regulate it. Healthcare isn’t a right in the US Constitution but it is the governments but the government should repair it, no one else will. The government should absolutely be involved in fixing the health care system.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the graph, US spends more money than the average amount of all the other countries and has low life expectancy comparing to that of others. Yes, it is a big deal because having good health is important. Obama Care will save us. The government should intervene because health institutions can charge whatever they want, causing people being unable to afford it. Everyone(poor or rich) should be able to afford the health care.
ReplyDeleteThe graph demonstrates the the United States health care spending versus it's life expectancy is ridiculous. Not only are we spending more than any other country, we get no benefits in terms of life expectancy, and even have a lower life expectancy than some other countries that spend much less than us.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the issue may not be one entirely of our government's efficiency. Chances are that without the spending that our country's life expectancy would be much lower, because of health trends in America. Unhealthy lifestyles threaten the life expectancy of our country, and a ridiculous health care budget is necessary in order to compensate. That being said, I'm positive government inefficiency is a part of the problem.
The most pragmatic solution to this problem would be to mimic the health care policies of those nations above the curve. Poland, Japan, Australia, and France are just a few of the countries that have a higher life expectancy than predicted based on their spending, meaning their policies, the way they allocate the money they are putting into the system, is above average in terms of increasing life expectancy. It may be difficult to isolate the policies that these countries have that make them above average, but a cross-national examination of healthcare policy for all the nations measured in this survey would be a start. So, rather than proposing an absolute solution (ie. universal health care implementation) I recommend a means for discovering the correct solution, this does not deny the validity of any particular system, but it does not directly endorse a system, it simply seeks to discover the aspects of an efficient system.
Healthcare is most certainly not a right in the constitution. Even if it was necessary to achieve other rights that are constitutional, it is not an explicit right in the constitution and thus is at best a contextual way to uphold the constitution. That is not to say that healthcare is unconstitutional, but that it's relevance to the constitution cannot be determined absent of the political climate at the time. "Promoting welfare" is a phrase that can only be understood given a political context. The framers saw the general welfare clause as the justification for taxation (see Madison) and spending (see Hamilton), not as a positive obligation to intervene for the sake of maximizing the public's happiness. Healthcare as a constitutional right is an absurd concept that rests on misinterpretations of vaguely worded clauses.
The government should certainly be involved in the health care system, but not under the guise of some pseudo-constitutional justification. The government should understand that it's power extends beyond the constitution and that it should reform it's policies regulating health care now to create a system more like those in France, Japan, and Poland. I won't endorse any specific policy because no comprehensive studies (absent those with some political agenda) have been done with the particular intent of isolating the policies that make healthcare more efficient.
FUN FACT: The Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," was inspired by a Republican policy proposal (Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act) that involved a universal coverage requirement and a penalty for non-compliance.
Our health care system is spending a lot of money, however our life expectancy in the U.S does not correlate with the expense. It is a big deal because our health care system is obviously inefficient if the life expectancy is lower than in other countries, especially ones that are poorer than ours. I suggest to completely create a free health care system like Canada's where poor and rich people alike can receive medical treatment. Health care is not currently a right in the United States Constitution, although it should be. The U.S government should be involved in fixing the health care system because the government is designed to help American citizens, and when it fails to do so, it is not a good form of government.
ReplyDelete-Anita Pizzirani (Pizza)
Period: 1
It seems to be that the more money you spend on healthcare, the less amount of time people live for. I mean, that statement is only really true for the United States of America. Why? The amount of money a country spends on healthcare should directly and positively correlate to the quality of life and life expectancy of its people. However, this is not true of USA. This graph and information showcases the fact that the government's plan for healthcare is simply inefficient. Were I the president of the United States, with a congress that worked with me, I would create a completely free health care system, (like Anita said!) because the unbelievable price difference between medication in Canada and medication here is just that: unbelievable. Though healthcare may not be a right in the constitution, I thoroughly believe it should be. The US government should definitely be putting its time and effort into fixing the health care system, because its impossible to be "the best in the world" if our people are losing years of hard work due to sky high healthcare prices.
ReplyDeleteNo, it’s no biggie…KIDDING! Of course this is a big deal! It’s insane how much money our government has been spending on Health Care, and seeing how few benefits our people are seeing from this sacrifice. I think that for right now, we should allow Obamacare to roll out. It’s too soon to tell its efficiency. Despite a tough start, after the website was fixed last weekend, over 29,000 people signed up, in just that weekend. This may change the way our money is invested into health care, and provide great help to many who are uninsured. Healthcare is not outlined as a right or responsibility in the US Constitution, but like many other duties, has been assumed by the Government. This is a great question, which has been brought up in my Government class. I think that as a community, it is in out best interest to live amongst healthy, working individuals, and because of this, fixing the healthcare system and helping those in need is not only a want, but a necessity.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's poor health care system is not the result of the country's focus on money alone, it involves several other factors.
ReplyDeleteOne related issue to consider is the diet of Americans. America is often known for its fast food chains, such as McDonald's and Burger King (I don't know who still eats there...but for the sake of this point...). Sure the health care sucks, but maybe the life expectancy would be a little better off if the people of this country weren't stuffing their faces with BigMacs and microwaved meals every other night. It really is NOT that hard to boil carrots and peas, you know.
So now turning the blame to the government: what do they stand for? Why was it created? Last time I checked, the government was created primarily to protect its country's citizens and, therefore, their citizens rights. Having affordable and attainable health care may not be a declared right in the Constitution, but if America is really all that it says it stands for, then aiding its people in obtaining sufficient health insurance is the least it can do. The people work hard to pay their taxes and uphold their end of the social contract in this country (well, most of them), so it's about time that the government starts holding up its end.
I understand that the reason for our high health insurance rates is due to the fact that health insurance companies are privatized in this country, but there is a solution to this excuse. STOP FOCUSING ON MONEY FOR ONCE AND START CARING FOR THE PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND LIVES. That's all it really is. That's what's driving America's people to their earlier-than-one-should-expect deaths-money: the root of all evils.
Of course, there is another solution already out there: the Obama Care plan. I feel that, even though it seems like a futile effort right now, it is only right to let it have its chance to roll out. It is, quite frankly, the only program out there currently that is attempting to help the cheated citizens of this country protect their health and well-being.
The chart shows that among the developing countries, the United States spends far more on its health care system, yet has a lower life expectancy. Usually the more money spent on health care will reflect greater life expectancy, but with this data you know that something is wrong. If the U.S. was to make their system public, public funding would allow the government to make more laws to regulate the system. Though health care is not considered a right in the U.S. Constitution, a government should take the right steps to ensure the protection and well-being of its citizens.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the graph, the United States spends a lot more more money than the amount of all the other countries. The chart also shows that we have low life expectancy comparing to the others.The implications of our health care system are a very big deal. When looking at it as a whole, we can see that the government is not helping us and has no role in providing care or setting prices, as stated in the article.To repair our health care system we need to control nonsense spending and become regulated. The government should be involved in fixing the health care system because that is what the government was designed to do..
ReplyDeleteThe graph seems to display the obscene amount of money spent on healthcare yet little return in terms of life expectancy. This probably means healthcare is too expensive for the average American and some neglect treatment for fear of bankruptcy thus the lower life expectancy. Getting sick in America brings on a plethora of stress on top of getting well. Your job is at risk, piling healthcare bills, and insurance companies dropping you the moment you become too expensive. Obviously this is a big deal if American lives are so easily disrupted by illness. However, a little research shows how much healthcare really costs and how much hospitals. drug companies, and insurance companies rack up costs to earn a larger profit.
ReplyDeleteExamples of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNJ6DYCaG-4
A solution of this would be to impose price ceilings on some health services and make sure companies aren't charging ludicrous prices for healthcare. The declaration of independence states "... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Healthcare must be a right if it threatens the right to life. The government is going to have to become involved soon if hard working Americans are to survive.
Our country seems to be doing something so wrong with healthcare spending that it’s landed itself all by itself on the far end of the chart indicating that we outspend every other nation when it comes to healthcare. However, the average life expectancy of our citizens seems to be a good chunk shorter than any other developed nation. U.S. efficiency when it comes to healthcare appears to be worse than China, Colombia, Iran, and well, pretty much everyone else. Perhaps when a system made to take care of citizens and ensuring their health turns into a game of who makes the most profit, people suffer here or there and inefficiency becomes quite common. The lack of regulation leads to high prices and people are inadequately covered even though the government seems to be throwing money into the fire. A “single payer system,” getting away from the current completely privatized system may be beneficial. While the government can’t entirely be blamed for lower life expectancy, since America has much more prevalent unhealthy habits than any other nation. What, with the smoking and the unhealthy eating which leads to life threatening diseases, it can still be called out for being slightly below subpar when it comes to resource allocation. Even though health care has never been related to the Constitution, it’s still a government’s job to be involved where the greater good of its citizens is concerned. If not to fight for the welfare of the citizens, what does it exist for?
ReplyDeleteIn the graph displayed shows that the United States is spending more on healthcare than any other country.It is a big deal because a lot of the European countries that have been plagued by economic depression are living longer than Americans and there health care system is not that expensive. The U.S. is ranked 46 out of 48 in healthcare efficiency I believe that implementing Obama care would make it possible for everyone to have access to healthcare and make it less expensive for those who can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this graph our healthcare is horrific. This is a big deal because the lifespan of Americans is considerably shorter than the rest of the world, especially the European countries. To fix or healthcare system I would suggest lower premium costs so more people could afford them. In myopinion the government should step on because I fell like they are there to defend the people that cannot defend themselves.
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