HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S.

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HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S. WHO LIVES? WHO DIES? WHO
PAYS? WHO GETS PAID? PLEASE INTERRUPT
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OF ALL OF THE FORMS OF INEQUALITY, INJUSTICE IN
HEALTHCARE IS THE MOST SHOCKING AND
INHUMANE. THE REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING , JR.
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HEALTHCARE IS AN ESSENTIAL SAFEGUARD OF HUMAN
LIFE AND DIGNITY AND THERE IS AN OBLIGATION OF
SOCIETY TO ENSURE THAT EVERY PERSON BE ABLE TO
REALIZE THIS FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. JOSEPH CARDINAL
BERNADIN PASTORAL LETTER ON HEALTHCARE, 10/95
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COMPARE COUNTRIES U. S. IS THE ONLY OF THE 10
LARGEST INDUSTRIALIZED DEMOCRACIES (LIDs) THAT
LACKS GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED HEALTHCARE THE ONLY
LID IN WHICH HEALTHCARE CAUSES BANKRUPTCY (CAUSE
1 NOW) WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) SHOWED
U.S. HAS HIGHEST PER CAPITA COST (162 THE
AVERAGE OF OTHER 10 LIDs JAPAN, GERMANY, FRANCE,
ITALY, U.K, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SPAIN, AND
NETHERLANDS IN 1998) IN 2003, 162-- 200 NOW
250 U.S. HAS FAR THE HIGHEST ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES FOR AND CONTROL OF HEALTHCARE AMONG 10
LIDs
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WHAT DO AMERICANS GET FOR THEIR MONEY?
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WITH A 2.5-FOLD EXCESS IN COST IN THE U.S.,
THERE MUST BE MUCH MORE MONEY BEING SPENT ON
RESEARCH IN THE U.S. RIGHT?
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WHY THE COST???(NOT QUALITY, NOT
RESEARCH) ALMOST UNREGULATED CORPORATE
GREED FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO
STOCKHOLDERS HUGE ADMINISTRATIVE
EXCESSES PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES LUCRATIVE,
USELESS () PROCEDURES DIAGNOSTIC AND
THERAPEUTIC DELAY AND DENIAL - NOT JUST THE
POOR HALF-BAKED CARE DEFENSIVE
MEDICINE MALPRACTIC INSURANCE (U.S.A.) MEDICAL
STUDENT DEBT
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WHAT DO BURGER KING AND THE HOSPITAL
CORPORATION OF AMERICA (HCA) HAVE IN COMMON?
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BURGER KING AND THE HOSPITAL CORPORATION OF
AMERICA (HCA) WERE BOTH BOUGHT RUN BY HEDGE
FUNDS SINCE 2002
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THE INSURED SHOULD BE CONCERNED FOR THEIR OWN
SAFETY EXAMPLES LEUKEMIA AT METRO BIKER ON
SANIBEL AETNA 200 TIMES IN 2001 (Consumers
Union) MERCER EXECUTIVE COULD THINK AN
INSURANCE POLICY TO BE A CADILLAC HOWEVER, IT
COULD BE A CHEVROLET, AND IT MIGHT BE A BICYCLE
WHEN THE INSURED GETS SICK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
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For-profit insurance companies Restrict
patients choices of (a) physicians (b)
hospitals Alter therapeutic choices Pay
administrators (bonuses) Increase providers
overhead Make profits for stockholders Increase
charges for the sick Contribute to
politicians Support many lobbyists
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NUMBER OF INSURED EMPLOYEES IN SOME MAJOR U.S.
INSURERS CANADIAN PROVINCIAL HEALTH PLANS,
2001 EMPLOYEES/ PLAN NAME INSURED EMPLOYEE
S 10,000 INSURED U.S. PLANS AETNA 17,170,000 35
,700 20.8 ANTHEM 7,883,000 14,800 18.1 CIGNA
14,300,000 44,600 31.2 HUMANA
6,435,800 14,500 22.5 MID ATL MED SERV
1,832,000 2,571 14.0 OXFORD 1,490,600
3,400 22.8 PACIFICARE 3,388,100
8,200 24.2 UNITED HEALTHCARE 8,540,000 30,000 3
5.1 WELLPOINT 10,146,945 13,900 13.7 CANADIAN
PLANS SASKATCHEWAN 1,021,288
145 1.4 ONTARIO 11,742,672
1,433 1.2 . SOURCE Woolhandler, S. et al. 2003,
New England Journal of Medicine 2003 349,
768-775 data from corporate SEC filings
governments of Saskatchewan and Ontario.
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WOOLHANDLER ET AL. CONCLUDED IN
1999...ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTED FOR 31.0 PERCENT
OF HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES IN THE UNITED
STATES... AARON DISPUTED WOOLHANDERS
MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF THESE COMPLEX SYSTEMS.
HE CONCLUDED THAT EXCESS SPENDING ON HEALTH CARE
ADMINISTRATION IN U.S. IS 159 BILLION, NOT 209
BILLION U.S. DOLLARS. SO WHAT! SOURCE
Woolhandler, S. et al., New England Journal of
Medicine 2003 349, 768-775. Aaron, H. J., New
England Journal of Medicine 2003 349, 801-803.
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I HAVE TRIED TO OUTLINE SOME OF THE REASONS THAT
WE GET SO LITTLE AT SUCH A HIGH COST IN THE
U.S. THERE ARE MANY COMPLEX ISSUES. FOR A MORE
DETAILED ANALYSIS DESIGNED FOR CITIZENS, NOT
SPECIALISTS, SEE THE REFERENCE SHEET THAT IS
AVAILABLE HERE TONIGHT.
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