U.S. Healthcare Quality Trumps Value
There is no shortage of opinions about the state of healthcare in America. Some insist we need a public option while others cry “socialism”. Many blame insurance companies for being “greedy”, and the debate rages on about requiring everyone to purchase insurance, what to do for Americans with pre-existing conditions and of course, the big question – what it will all cost?
A recent Zogby Interactive survey shows that healthcare in the U.S. is not so much an issue of people dissatisfied with the quality of care, but that most believe that care costs too much. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) rate the quality of healthcare in the United States as “excellent” or “good”, but less than half (43%) believe U.S. healthcare is a excellent or good value. Older Americans are among those most likely to give American healthcare high marks for quality – 70% of those age 65 and older rate is positively, with nearly a third (32%) who believe U.S. healthcare is “excellent” in terms of quality. Among First Globals™, 22% give American healthcare “excellent” marks for quality.
This question regarding the quality of American healthcare also showed a stark political divide – just 7% of Democrats would rate the quality of healthcare in the U.S. as excellent, compared to more than half of Republicans (53%) and nearly a third of political independents (30%). Nearly a third of Democrats (31%) give the quality of American healthcare a poor rating, compared to just 3% of Republicans and 14% of independents. Political affiliation showed similar division when respondents were asked about healthcare value – Republicans (72%) overwhelmingly believe it is an excellent or good value, while Democrats are much more likely (77%) to give the value of healthcare in the U.S. a fair or poor rating.
How would you rate the quality and value of healthcare in America? What do you think are the best options for improving both?
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A single payer option is the only sustainable solution to the healthcare crises–and it IS a crisis. Bauchus’ plan only shoves precious tax dollars into the pockets of Big Insurance.
Plans like Canada’s work backwards. In the old days people were expected to pay cash (because credit cards were not invented and 90% didn’t have checking accounts) for food, for rent, and for medical treatment. People bought major medical (hospital) insurance to cover hospital admittance. This conformed to insurance principles, paying a small fixed fee to cover the possibility of a large but unlikely future loss.
What we now have is a pre-paid medical service, NOT insurance. Back when Birdseye invented flash freezing and home freezers became available, freezers were “given away” to people who would contract for home delivery of frozen food. That approach failed. Why should pre-maid medical be more efficient than pre-paid frozen food?