U.S. ranks last in healthcare among developed nations, report finds

A new report by The Commonwealth Fund reveals that the United States ranks as the worst performer in healthcare among ten developed countries. The report highlights critical areas such as preventable deaths, access to care, and the quality of treatment available to everyone, regardless of gender, income, or location. After spending the most on healthcare, nearly twice as much as other nations, the U.S. does not see corresponding benefits from this investment.

The findings show that people in the U.S. tend to die at younger ages and experience the highest rates of avoidable deaths. According to media news, the U.S. spends about 18% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, which is significantly higher than any other country in the study.

Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of The Commonwealth Fund, stated in a call discussing the findings, “No other country in the world expects patients and families to pay as much out of pocket for essential healthcare as they do in the U.S.” Despite the high costs that patients face, it does not guarantee that they will receive good care.

Dr. David Blumenthal, the former president of The Commonwealth Fund, added that the U.S. healthcare system is lacking in essential resources. “We are undersupplied with the things that people need most,” he noted. This shortage contributes to long wait times for specialty care and difficulties in finding primary care physicians.

The report’s were based on thousands of survey responses from primary care doctors and residents in high-income countries collected over the past three years. Researchers compared the U.S. with nine other nations: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Each country was evaluated in five categories: access to care, care processes, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes.

No country ranked first or last in every category. The top three performers overall were Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Interestingly, Australia and the Netherlands had the lowest healthcare spending among the countries analyzed.

The U.S. stood out for its exceptionally weak performance. It ranked last or near last in nearly all categories except for one care process, where it placed second, just behind New Zealand. Dr. Blumenthal explained that the complex U.S. healthcare system with many different insurers complicates the delivery of care. “We have so many different insurers, each of which is selling a different product with different requirements for physicians, hospitals, and other providers to get paid,” he said.

This complexity often leads to denial of services and bargaining between healthcare providers and insurance companies.

The Commonwealth Fund report calls for urgent reforms in the U.S. healthcare system to address these shortcomings. As healthcare costs continue to rise, the need for improved access, equity, and quality of care becomes increasingly important. The report serves as a wake-up call for policymakers to prioritize healthcare reforms that can lead to better outcomes for all Americans.

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