{"id":2246,"date":"2019-10-25T09:49:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T13:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=2246"},"modified":"2022-03-09T09:49:34","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T13:49:34","slug":"problems-with-healthcare-in-the-us-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problems-with-healthcare-in-the-us-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The 4 Biggest Problems with Healthcare in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

America spends more money on healthcare, per capita, than any country in the world. You would think this would make Americans healthier than any other population, but it doesn\u2019t. Two-thirds of our population is overweight and half of Americans take a prescription drug every week. Why is this? What are the problems with healthcare in the U.S.?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll cover the 4 biggest healthcare issues in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Problem #1: The American Healthcare System is Dangerous<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although an increasing number of doctors are learning the value of nutrition and lifestyle changes, the majority still turn to surgery and pills rather than food and holistic treatments to heal their patients.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these treatments can be effective, they\u2019re not always safe. In fact, medical care is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.<\/strong>, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refuses to acknowledge it on its list of the top ten causes of death.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor errors, medication errors, and deaths from drugs and surgery kill 225,400 people every year. This is less than the number of people killed by heart disease (710,760) and cancer (553,091), but more than those who die of strokes (167,661) or respiratory diseases (122,009).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are deaths resulting from people following doctors\u2019 orders and taking medication as directed.<\/strong> And 225,400 deaths is a conservative estimate. It doesn\u2019t include deaths from clearly labeled side effects or deaths from overdoses. The actual number of deaths caused by medical care is probably closer to 400,000 per year.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, doctors aren\u2019t following the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm<\/a>. But it\u2019s not necessarily their fault. One of the problems with healthcare in the U.S. is that the system encourages the use of risky surgeries and drugs rather than the safer (and often more effective) treatments of diet and lifestyle changes. This is primarily a problem with the U.S. healthcare system, not doctors.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem #2: The American Healthcare System is Expensive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another problem with healthcare in the U.S. is the price. The costliness of our system impacts us as individuals and as a country.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, the healthcare system is expensive for our government. <\/strong>We spend more money on health care than any other country in the world. In 1997, that was $3,912 per person per year. The next closest country in spending was Germany, at $2,364 per person. Korea spent only $870 per person.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all the money spent, you\u2019d think our healthcare system would be the best in the world. It\u2019s not. Ours is regularly rated one of the worst. One year, the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. healthcare system 37th best in the world.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidently, the healthcare system doesn\u2019t need to be expensive to be effective. Switzerland spends substantially less on health care than we do, but its citizens live an average of 4.5 years longer than Americans.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, not only is the healthcare system expensive for the government, it\u2019s expensive for individuals. <\/strong>We spend huge amounts of our own money to be healthy. The financial burden of being healthy is one of the biggest healthcare issues in America.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1980s, thi burden was a moderate 9% of our disposable incomes. But in 2011, that percentage doubled, and it\u2019s projected to be almost 20% in 2022. Health is valuable, and if we actually got healthier after spending that much money, the price might be worth it. However, 20% is a lot of money for treatments that may do more harm than good.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The healthcare system isn\u2019t just bad for our wallets. A third way the cost of our healthcare system impacts us is that it dictates and limits our treatment options. <\/strong>For instance, doctors often choose your treatment based on what your insurance will cover. This treatment isn\u2019t always the safest, most effective, or most efficient one available.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the healthcare system doesn\u2019t cover everyone. <\/strong>Even though we\u2019re spending all this money, tens of millions of people don\u2019t have insurance or access to basic care.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our healthcare system is supposed to heal us, but too often, it\u2019s hurting us.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem #3: The American Healthcare System is Funded by Drug Companies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, drug companies paid many of the expenses of medical schools<\/strong>, including education and research expenses. This contributes to the first and second problems with healthcare in the U.S system.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there\u2019s evidence that direct marketing from drug companies in medical schools is decreasing, there are still many doctors who learned from pharmaceutical reps at their schools that there\u2019s a pill for every problem.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drug companies may influence medical students and schools by:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Giving students free gifts like paid entertainment and travel expenses.<\/li>
  • Sponsoring \u201clectures\u201d that are actually advertisements for the company\u2019s products.<\/li>
  • Designing the research conducted in medical schools and retaining the power to bury results they don\u2019t like.<\/li>
  • Using PR firms to write scientific articles, then attaching the names of willing students and doctors.<\/li>
  • Providing the majority of the revenue of medical journals, which depend financially on drug advertisements.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Again, the bias of doctors toward drug solutions is dangerous. 20% of new drugs will either be pulled from the market within 25 years or get a \u201cblack box warning,\u201d meaning one of its side effects could result in death or serious injury. 100,000 patients in the U.S. die every year from taking their prescribed medications <\/strong>correctly<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong>
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Problem #4: The American Healthcare System Doesn\u2019t Value Dietary Prevention and Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A fourth problem with healthcare in the U.S. is that many doctors feel threatened<\/strong> by the idea that foods can cure as well as (or better than) they can and Medical students get almost no training in nutrition<\/strong>. 
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Doctors have spent years developing their skills and learning how to execute extremely complicated procedures. It\u2019s demoralizing to think that a patient could choose between eating more greens and having bypass surgery, and eating more greens might be the more effective choice.<\/strong>
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 2010, medical students got an average of 20 hours of nutrition education. This is miniscule compared to their total hours of medical school coursework. Many of these \u201cnutrition\u201d hours focus on biochemistry and the metabolism rather than using food to prevent and treat illnesses. One survey found that some students finish these courses and don\u2019t even realize nutrition was covered in them.<\/strong>
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Aggravating the problem, much of the educational material related to food and disease is supplied by the food industry<\/strong>, including the Dannon Institute, the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, and Nestl\u00e9. In 2003, 112 medical schools used nutrition curricula sponsored by food and drug companies.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Consequently, many doctors prescribe meal-replacement shakes for diabetics, milk for patients with osteoporosis, and high-fat, high-meat diets for people who want to lose weight. They don\u2019t have the training to know better. There\u2019s also little knowledge among doctors that diseases are reversible.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The problems with American healthcare are serious, but public knowledge of these issues can help turn the tide toward safer practices and a healthier country. To limit how much healthcare issues in America impact you, eat a healthy diet and exercise to reduce the chances that you\u2019ll have a major medical issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    America spends more money on healthcare, per capita, than any country in the world. You would think this would make Americans healthier than any other population, but it doesn\u2019t. Two-thirds of our population is overweight and half of Americans take a prescription drug every week. Why is this? What are the problems with healthcare in the U.S.? We\u2019ll cover the 4 biggest healthcare issues in America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[51],"class_list":["post-2246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-china-study","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe 4 Biggest Problems with Healthcare in the U.S. - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"American healthcare is expensive, but not effective. 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