|  | Healthcare Industry | Health Insurance

10 Good Things About American Health Care

Before the passage of President Obama's health care reform legislation in 2009, a primary concern about the American health care system was the number of people without health insurance. Although the law focuses on easing that problem, other issues such as health care costs and low staffing levels in hospitals continue to plague the system. However, there are still plenty of good things about American health care.

  1. Treatment for Chronic Diseases

    • According to a July 1, 2009, article by Scott Atlas for the Hoover Institution Digest, Americans have better access to and care for chronic diseases than do people in other developed countries. As an example, he reports that the 56 million Americans have access to statin drugs for cholesterol and heart problems and are taking them.

    Health Care Innovations

    • Atlas also adds that "the top five U.S. hospitals conduct more clinical trials than all the hospitals in any other developed country." Supporting this claim, he notes that since the 1970s, more U.S citizens than citizens of any other country have won the Nobel prize in medicine.

    Cancer Care and Treatment

    • The United States has some of the best cancer treatment in the world. For example, the five-year survival rate from breast cancer is better in the United States than anywhere else in the world, according to an article on the website MarketWatch.

    Accommodations for People With Disabilities

    • People with disabilities get quality care in the United States, both through technology and through policy such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. From facilities being designed to accommodate wheelchairs to the number of services available to those who need transportation to their doctor's appointments, the American health care system continues to spend a significant portion of its revenues on improving care for the disabled.

    Physician Pay

    • Because U.S. physicians are paid better that physicians in most countries, more Americans pursue careers in medicine; this results in more physicians, surgeons and medical experts. In a September 2009 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, report, U.S. physicians earn as much as $40,000 more than physicians in Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada.

    Effect on the Economy

    • According to the OECD report, Americans spend more of their income on health care than anyone in the world. In 2007, the U.S. spent roughly 16 percent of its national income on health care. Thus, revenues from health care contribute significantly to the U.S. economy, which is the richest in the world.

    Impact of Social Networking

    • The rise of social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized how people connect with each other worldwide. They also have led more people to share information about medical treatments and options.

    Treatment for Rare Diseases

    • According to the website Getbetterhealth, "The FDA recently approved the first drug for Pompe's disease. Only a few hundred patients in the U.S. have the disease, and yet this life-saving medication was developed for them thanks to government incentives." This is an example of the United State's commitment to finding treatments and curative care solutions for rare diseases.

    Technology

    • With the invention of computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, physicians were able to diagnose conditions and illnesses by getting a closer looks at tissues and bones. Equally important is the availability of this type of treatment. According to Atlas, "The United States has 34 CT scanners per million Americans, compared to 12 in Canada and eight in Britain." Compared to Britain and Canada, the U.S. has approximately 21 more MRI machines per million people.

    Choice of Physicians

    • Added to Americans' rights to freedom of speech and the right to bear arms is the right to choose physicians. Most Americans can choose their own physician, and they usually can choose an insurance policy that covers that physician. Under socialized health care plans in Europe and Canada, individuals usually cannot choose a physician.

Health Insurance - Related Articles