What are the components to a perfect health care system? Most people would answer intelligent physicians, the best equipment and great service. What’s missing? The secret of our shortcomings is in coverage, quality, and cost. Not only do we need all of the above but the health care system in the US lacks cost and coverage. One out of three is not a great track record. What steps can the US take in the right direction to keep leading the world in medicine but also provide the best service possible to the people back home?
The United States is one of the most powerful, most innovative, and richest nations the planet has ever known. However, it is not actually healthy compared to other developed nations. In a book called The Healing of America, T. R. Reid says, “When it comes to the essential task of providing health care for people, the mighty USA is a fourth rate power.” (Reid) We have some of the best equipment and expertise in the world, so it is paradoxical that the medical care does not reflect our resources. Why is that?
The rest of the world even sees what potential the USA has in medicine. Our doctors have produced miracle drugs that save the lives of people every day. American laboratories lead the world in medical research and the US has the best equipped hospitals in the world. If you walk along an airport terminal or a mall in the US you will probably walk by lots of people who would be dead if it weren’t for the dedication and skill of an American physician. For example Reid explains that in Singapore a brand new medical complex opened and on a sign right out front it states that the facility is run by Duke University Medical School. The Singapore government believes that the best medicinal minds are in our own backyard at Duke, which is as far as you can get from Singapore.
My father always told me to examine myself before looking at someone else’s shortcomings. The US is very generous in the sense that we are always looking at different ways to make other nation’s situation better. In the same way, we need to fix the broken parts of our health care system’s machinery before spending all our energy and resources on other nations. The sad fact is that we have squandered our treasure because we've wasted our shining medical assets because of the inefficient healthcare payment system. The next big question is how we are going to go about changing our health care. Throw out everything and start from scratch? The US medical field is going through a lot of changes in 2014 and we will see if it will be for the better.
Reid, T. R. The Healing of America. New York: The Penguin Press, 2009. 28-9.