Originally posted by KirsteenB
Hi there,
Can you guys provide some clues as to some good resources for reading more about the US healthcare system: it's foibles, strengths, current affairs? For example, is there a periodical that covers these sorts of topics that is released on a weekly basis?
Cheers,
Kirsteen
Any standard Heath Care Policy textbook is likely to have a section on Comparative analysis of International health care systems (I like Jonas and Kovners: "Health Care delivery in the United States"). For current affairs, consult journals (goto google and type in "public health journal", there are quite a few such as the AJPH, Journal of Public Health, etc.).
Here's my take on the pros/cons of the US system (all opinion):
Strengths:
- Rapid access to a generous supply of diagnostic imaging and advanced therapeutic treatments.
- Dedicated research throughout the nation that is not dependent solely on public funds
- Well integrated allied health professionals that ease the burden on physicans and lower costs from what they could be (heaven forbid)
- Abundance of specialists
Weaknesses:
- No middle ground and a lack of choice: An incredibly expensive, MBA-run private health care plan or an outdated public plan, both further separating the upper and lower classes
- Maldistribution of resources- mostly concentrated in urban centres, lack of family physicians in many areas of the country
- Oversupply of specialists, which some argue raises the cost of healthcare for everyone
- Emphasis on reactive instead of preventative medicine
- Special interest groups and ignorant congress-people control the politics of the system, often impeding progress (in bioethics, science is outpacing the laws)
- Overall, the private health care system is a business, and is subject to change during market downturns, therefore so is coverage, access, and ethics