Health Care: A Report on the Industry 2004
Abstract
The quality of health care in the United States is not commensurate with its cost. Americans pay more per capita for health care than citizens of any other country in the world, yet population health trails that of developed nations that spend far less. Moreover, an astounding 15% of Americans lack health care coverage. Although some argue that the United States can claim a quality of health care among the highest in the world, costs in fact are soaring out of proportion to the quality of care provided to the population as a whole. Market failures prevent the health care industry from reaching its best potential efficiency in terms of resource allocation. Government and private industry spending on health care threatens an impending national fiscal crisis as Americans age but live longer with chronic diseases while engaging in unhealthy lifestyles that cause problems such as obesity. The United States must control costs while ensuring broad access to high-quality care. Without conceptual unity among Americans regarding fundamental health care values and objectives, health care costs will likely continue to grow out of proportion to the quality of and access to care provided to the population as a whole. Development now of a National Health Strategy provides the best chance to produce the needed fundamental change in time to avert approaching fiscal disaster.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA435140
Entities
People
- Brenda Blackman
- Brian Bellacicco
- Carole Palma
- James F Browning
- Joseph Frisk
- Julie Furuta-toy
- Lynn Allison
- Roderick Demps
- Ronald Hamilton
- William B Knowlton
Organizations
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy