U.S. trails other developed countries in healthcare

Healthcare reform has been a buzzed-about topic in the U.S. since the mid-1990s – and for good reason, too. A recent survey found that patients in the U.S. have the worst health experience out of 11 developed countries.

The survey, conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, looked at healthcare in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, and found that in nearly all measurements the U.S. came in dead last.

For example, 20 percent of U.S. patients reported having trouble paying their medical bills, compared to rates of 9 percent or less in countries such as France. Additionally, only 57 percent of U.S. adults said they saw their doctor the same or next day when sick, as opposed to 70 percent in the UK, 78 percent in New Zealand and 93 percent in Switzerland.

Even when U.S. patients do get to see a doctor, they are routinely paying dearly for it. The study reported that one-third of U.S. adults pay $1,000 or more out-of-pocket as a result of medical expenses – significantly higher than all other countries.

Another study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reached similar conclusions. It found that U.S. healthcare scored highly on cancer care, however primary care has suffered.