In a Coursera class Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel detailed how medical service cost growth was driving the greatest increases in Healthcare costs in US History. This was a superb course that exposed the real drivers in health care costs in the US. Bottom line. Dr. Emanuel revealed that USA Healthcare is a set of markets that are simply not working close to the libertarian model of efficiency. And the following Forbes magazine chart underline this:
Now the essential takeaway is the US spends nearly 3 times as much per person on Healthcare and gets only median Life Expectancy. And the national health care plans compared to include both private, mixed, and full insured countries.
In a recent NYTimes story, Colonoscopies Explain Why U.S. Leads the World in Health Expenditures, makes the same point even more clear with comparisons of the same medicines and basic health procedures in other countries which are delivered at a fraction of US costs. In addition, cross country comparisons of med costs show how bizarre pricing is in a dysfunctional US health market.
See the International Federation of Health Plans detailed report which clearly show US Health Costs exceeding all other countries by wide margins. Even more revealing is the US Ranking in World Health Organization Worldwide Report:
Now this is superb journalism supporting and illuminating the Coursera academic fundamentals with its excellent combination of personal stories and graphics illustrating various costs. It is an outstanding read if you have health cost concerns. What is even more helpful – the NY Times is promising a continuing series based on reader feedback which is elicited in the story. This follow up will be key to making concerted reform efforts possible.