Harvard Business Review November 13, 2024
Summary.
Given its collective wealth, technologic sophistication, and spending, the United States should lead, not lag, the world in its healthcare performance. But based on 70 performance measures across five domains — access to care, health outcomes, administrative efficiency, care process, and equity — the United States came in last overall and last or next to last in four of these five broad areas of performance when compared to nine other high-income countries. Significant, but doable, changes — including closing remaining gaps in insurance coverage, limiting crippling out-of-pocket-expenditures, and reviving its failing primary care capabilities — would help close the gap.
The United States has the worst-performing health system among all high-income countries. Even the best-performing U.S. states...