U.S. Health System Implosion / Tipping Point

August 10, 2021

U.S. longevity down to 78.5 years, other nations 81-84.
U.S. pervasive race disparities in private insurance and health.
U.S. health spending twice the wealthy country average.
U.S. uninsured = 33 million pre-COVID; underinsured = 1/3 of insured.
U.S. healthcare access & outcomes the worst among wealthy countries.
U.S. financial barriers to care for sick high in Medicare Advantage.
U.S. medical debt skyrocketing, impoverishing and imperiling lives.
U.S. insurer profits skyrocketing for years and during COVID. 
U.S. ambulance services separate, costly, & unreliable.
U.S. doctors burning out from billing-laden EHR.

Comment: by Jim Kahn

Our “system” is no system.
Thousands of health plans, summing to premature death and massive profits.
By no useful metric is it succeeding.
Unbridled corporate greed prevails.
It’s imploding in front of us.

Is it sustainable?
It can’t be.
When is the tipping point?
To a simple, logical, efficient & generous, equitable, humane solution.
Single payer.
Now.

(thanks to Eli Marx-Kahn for input)