Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

KevinMD May 24, 2025
Kayvan Haddadan, MD

The health care system, in theory, operates on one fundamental principle: to prioritize patient welfare. Yet, contemporary systems in many regions, particularly the United States, have increasingly veered off course, entangling themselves in a jungle of bureaucracy, regulation, and profit-driven motives that obscure the vital role patients play as the focal point of care. The result is a system riddled with inefficiencies, frustration, and barriers to optimal health care delivery.

The patient-centered approach: a distant ideal

At the heart of every physician’s oath and nurse’s mission lies the commitment to serve patients. However, the health care jungle—formed by insurance companies, medical boards, and bureaucratic processes—has diluted this commitment. Denial of coverage, excessive peer-to-peer reviews, and unwarranted scrutiny of providers are...

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