Please remember that you are choosing to read my opinions.

Healthcare is a very big issue in the United States, though most of the people that are going to read this are probably not aware of the reasons why this is. When I was younger, I didn't think about what happened when I got sick. My mom not only worked, but she worked at a clinic and I never really had to worry about the financial burdens of getting sick. Nowadays, with maturing viewpoints and completely lacking medical insurance that would cover the cost of serious medical treatments or complications, I take healthcare very seriously.

In the United States healthcare is driven by profit. Like so many other things in the U.S. that are driven by profit, the well-being of the citizens is overlooked. Profit doesn't have feelings. Profit is what creates sweatshop working conditions, child labor, and such. What surprise is it then that it would taint our healthcare system? Perhaps the lack of surprise is part of the problem, but let's not digress onto that subject!

A problem exists in the United States, simply put. Our Country spends more for healthcare than any other industrialized nation. This is true for both per capita and percentage of gross national product. In fact, we spend nearly 50% more. For the money, the United States doesn't get what they pay for. In the most recent data that I have found, the United States ranked #37 on performance of our healthcare system based on overall population health, inequalities, health system responsiveness, distribution of responsiveness and distribution of costs.

Now, this explains why I believe there is room for improvement in the United States healthcare system. We are already putting out more money than any other country and getting less for it than 36 other countries are getting from the much smaller amount of money that they spend. I think it shows that 36 other countries probably hold the key to how the United States could begin to improve.

This isn't to say that the United States is falling behind in all the categories listed above. e are the most technologically sophisticated when it comes to healthcare than Europe or Japan.  However, as you many already be thinking, these sophisticated medical treatments are distributed on the ability to pay a lot of money to obtain them, so they are rarely affordable for the average american, insured or not. I'm sure many of you have heard "I'm sorry, your insurance won't cover that"  leaving you wondering just what in the sam hill your insurance will pay for.

But even so, the U.S. still isn't last in other things, like doctor training, and responsiveness facors such as brief waiting  peiods and decision-making autonomy. Overall, though, it ranked below Singapore, Saudia Arabia, Chile, Columbia, Germany, Canada, and France (who is consequently ranked #1)

At this point )or sometime long before it) you may have found yourself thinking "SO WHAT? I go to the doctor, I get my treatment, and I come home and I don't see any problem." or perhaps "Yeah, I know what you mean. I can't afford heathcare for me or my children" or most likely "Gee, this is a lot of stuff to read."  And so, going with the last possbile comment, I'm going to stop the begining segment on health care and next time we'll take a look at who is and who isn't benefiting from the way our healthcare system works.

STAY TUNED!