Eleven wealthy countries were tested and studied when it came to their healthcare plan and the U.S. ranked the worst out of everyone. For many Americans, this news does not come as a surprise. In the U.S. you need to be well-off financially to afford really good healthcare or a part of the country’s welfare system. The U.K’s NHS ranked higher in many different categories compared to all the other countries.
Quality was ranked in five various domains and the U.S. fell short in each one. The news came through Eric Schneider, of the Commonwealth think tank in the country’s capital, Washington, D.C. The domains were broken down into categories, the first was ease of access to the system. how easy it was for those of various incomes to access the healthcare system, efficiency within the healthcare department, and how well the process was working for those who did have access and how those patients were thriving within the system. They studied just how healthy the participants were within the system itself.
The World Health Organization was one of the groups who did the analysis, along with the patient and doctor questionnaires. Though the U.K. ranked at the top of all other categories, they ranked at the bottom when it came to how well patients did after treatment. The number one problem in the U.S. is access. As we stated above, your income has a lot to do with the your access to healthcare and the quality of care you receive.
Former President Obama put into action the Affordable Care Act, which made some difference but very little. Those Americans with low income status still reported trouble accessing the system. Approximately 44 per cent of low income citizens reported trouble with access while even 26 per cent of the wealthier citizens reported the same trouble. Obama’s ACA did work however to add 20 million extra people to the system which is quite a stride for the former President to make. The trouble is that with the debates in Congress going on, their decisions could disqualify at least that same amount from the ACA, which basically made Obama’s work irrelevant to many.
It doesn’t look as if any time soon, the U.S. will catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to healthcare gaps, as a matter of fact, if congress comes to an agreement on most healthcare decisions on the agenda, a lot more Americans will be out in the cold when it comes to quality healthcare.
Source: US Ranked Worst Healthcare SystemÂ