S. has increased to the age of 78, the relative ranking has fallen in relation to the rest of the world, with the U.S. now 38th out of 195 countries, behind most of Western Europe. These rankings may reflect the combination of a shortage of public health education, lack of daily exercise, poor nutrition, and the uninsured not seeking medical help.

The results seem inevitable: the vast amount of money being spent on health care in the U.S. is plainly not buying better health care for the population. In a privatized insurance system where individual resources determine availability to obtain health care, then access to care will be prejudiced by income difference.

Positive Outcomes with Earlier Detection

There is some positive news. Cancer survival rates are considerably higher in the U.S. than the UK, presumably a result of a health care system which offers earlier detection through bypassing primary care, increased identification of cancers through increased screening, opportunistic identification, and a high affinity for technological innovation. The cost effectiveness of the testing or treatment that is undertaken is not known, so such responsiveness with testing may come with a higher health care cost (Journal Compilation).

Time for Action on Reining in Health Care Costs

Experts agree that our health care system is laden with inefficiencies, extreme administrative cost, inflated prices, lacking management, and improper care, waste and fraud. These inadequacies significantly boost the cost of medical care and health insurance for employers and workers and affect the state of the family's security.

Policymakers and government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled. But they disagree on the best ways to address rapidly escalating...

Some favor price controls and imposing strict budgets on health care spending. Others believe free market competition is the best way to solve the problems. Public health advocates believe that if all Americans adopted healthy lifestyles, health care costs would decrease as people required less medical care (Health Insurance Cost).
Others suggest that health care costs in the U.S. are now at such an increased level that universal coverage may be possible without reducing the level of care.

There appears to be no consensus on a single solution to health care's high price. Many methods may be used to control costs. What we do know is if the rate of escalation in health care spending and health insurance premiums continues at current trends, the failure to act on reducing cost will severely affect employer's profits and consumer's checkbooks.

On the positive side -- which is too often ignored -- we are home to the finest medical facilities, technologies, innovations, treatments, and human talent. Many of the world's best medical practitioners have moved here -- or want to. People from other countries who face major health challenges beat a path to our doors for treatment. Health care generates more new job opportunities than any other sector of our economy (Donohue).

Bibliography

Donohue, Tom. "U.S. Health Care -- Strengths and Weaknesses." 12 Feb 2008 . Chamber Post. 2 May 2009 .

"Health Insurance Cost." 2008. The National Coalition on Health Care. 2009 2 May .

Journal Compilation. "Is healthcare in the United States too big to fail?" Clinical Practice (2008): 62, 12, 1827 -- 1830.

Uretsky, Samuel D. "Healthcare in the United States ." 10 Jan 2005 . MedHunters. 2009 2 May .