Americans least satisfied with their health care system in survey of 10 industrialized nations

[marmar]

from MarketWatch:



Americans down on the U.S. health-care system
Dutch rate theirs most favorably of 10 industrialized nations
By Kristen Gerencher, MarketWatch



SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- International comparisons of health-care systems can be tricky to tease out, but the Dutch appear most satisfied with their system and Americans the least satisfied, according to a new survey of 10 industrialized countries.

The Dutch system was most popular with its citizens while adults in the U.S. were itching for national reform the most, according to Harris Interactive, which cited three separate data sets.

A third of Americans said they believe the U.S. system "has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it," while only 9% in the Netherlands hold such a sentiment about their health-care system. Twelve percent of Spaniards favored a complete overhaul, compared with 15% in France, 17% in New Zealand, 18% in Australia and 20% in Italy.

People in the Netherlands also were most likely to say their health-care system works well and needs only minor changes, with 42% holding that view vs. 29% who said so in France. About a quarter of participants in Canada, New Zealand and Australia were fairly satisfied with their health care. The U.S. and Italy were least likely to want minimal changes, with only 12% and 11% supporting just minor tweaks, respectively.

Americans are fed up with the headaches in their system, but that's generally not due to the quality of care they receive, said Uwe Reinhardt, professor of economic and public affairs at Princeton University. Had the survey asked participants about their most recent hospital stay, for example, the U.S. likely would've scored higher, he said.

"What Americans are upset about is the unbelievable hassle of having to select health insurance, maybe not getting it ... losing insurance when they lose their job," Reinhardt said. "The American citizen is massively insecure."

Doctors and nurses routinely hear demoralizing news that U.S. medicine is inferior "when the real problem is the way we finance health care and the hassle of claiming insurance," he said. ....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/americans-rate-us-health-care-system/story.aspx?guid=%7B86F29D04%2DFC2D%2D466F%2DADF6%2D2435468CE406%7D

[MountainLaurel]

1. Jeez, I wonder why

Example: Mr. Laurel spent an hour on the phone last week to make an appointment to get a vaccination. Not to schedule a surgery, or deal with a medical mystery. To schedule an appointment. For a shot.

And we're lucky, because at least we have insurance and physical access to a broad range of health care providers. (as opposed to people in rural areas who have to drive 2 hours to see a specialist).

[Warpy]

2. The care is also inferior

because once you suck profit out of a system, you start looking for way to cut service. That means our hospital stays are shorter, with patients who are too sick to cope at home pushed out because an insurance protocol says they have to be pushed out, staffing has been cut to the bone not only in nursing but in the unseen areas of dietary and housekeeping. Our hospitals are not maintained the way they should be and infections are on the rise.

The focus on cost cutting has ruined a great health care system. Oddly, the one place they never seem to want to cut costs is administrative overhead, an area that covers acres of cube rats whose main job is to find ways to avoid covering people from the beginning and welshing on care when they get sick.

Our system is broken to the point that duct tape and happy talk are simply not going to buy it any more time.

[marmar]

4. "duct tape and happy talk are simply not going to buy it any more time"

D'accord. :toast:

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Well, there's a real shocker

[area51]

5. k&r

Two more rec's gets it to the Greatest Page. We need to transition to single-payer now.

[marmar]

6. Shameless 3 Recs Self-Kick!

:kick:

[burythehatchet]

7. what do you expect from a nation of whiners?

[glitch]

8. now do the numbers for US satisfaction against developing countries

edit: or more aptly, failed states.