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Study: U.S. healthcare system compares poorly to other wealthy countries

Patient Financial Services Weekly Advisor, May 18, 2007

A new study reveals that the United States ranks last in healthcare quality, access, and efficiency when compared to other wealthy countries, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The Commonwealth Fund, which conducted the study, concluded that while the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, the system cannot match up against those from other countries, particularly because Americans do not have universal insurance coverage.

"The United States stands out as the only nation in these studies that does not ensure access to healthcare through universal coverage and promotion of a 'medical home' for patients," Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis told the AP. "Our failure to ensure health insurance for all and encourage stable, long-term ties between physicians and patients shows in our poor performance on measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and health outcomes."

Some of the other countries included in the report were Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand, and Germany. The U.S. ranked last in access to healthcare, patient safety, timeliness of care, efficiency, and equity.

According to the study, the U.S. spends twice as much money on healthcare as other industrialized countries. But without universal health coverage, "we're clearly not getting value for the money," Davis told the AP.

The U.S. is also well behind the pack in adopting health information technology, according to the study.

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