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The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation and touts the superiority of its privatized system over the universal health care commonplace in other countries. The vast majority of American citizens have bought into this narrative with 80% saying they perceive quality of care to be good or excellent, and the majority of U.S. citizens believing American health care is the best in the world. 

Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. health care system is home to some of the worst health outcomes relative to other developed nations. The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy, highest rate of chronic disease burden, highest rate of obesity, highest rate of avoidable deaths due to preventable conditions, and one of the highest rates of hospitalizations from preventable causes such as diabetes and hypertension. To top of it off, medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and Americans visit the doctor less frequently than their peers in other countries largely due to the fact that the U.S. has the fewest physicians per 1,000 people. 

So, how can it be that the U.S. has the wealthiest health care system, yet quality of care is among the worst in the developed world? Moreover, American citizens pay far more out-of-pocket than their peers in other countries even though the government uses invaluable taxpayer dollars to fund the system. In this hard-hitting episode Ben and Aaron answer why the U.S. health care system is so expensive while achieving worse health outcomes, and why more has not been done to tweak the system for the better. To close out the episode, the hosts discuss what needs to be done to improve health care in America and get more people the quality of care they deserve.

Sources

Escape Fire: 2012 Documentary on U.S. Healthcare System

Brookings Institution: A dozen facts about the economics of the US health-care system

Investopedia: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. 

The Commonwealth Fund: U.S. Health Care From a Global Perspective, 2019

Mayo Clinic: Nearly 7 in 10 Americans Take Prescription Drugs 

Politico: The Army Built to Fight ‘Medicare For All’

Partnership for America’s Health Care Future: About Us

Vox (Ezra Klein): The real reason American health care is so expensive 

The Hill: Our diets are killing us and doctors aren’t trained to help

The Guardian: Fat to fit - how Finland did it

Cleveland Clinic: 80% of Americans Don’t Get Enough Exercise

For complete source list visit tweakedpodcast.com