Well, good to see we’re making progress. Or not. The annual Commonwealth Fund study reveals no movement in the US’s unenviable healthcare position. We covered this topic extensively in a previous post, and what it means for you the consumer and patient. But here’s the lowdown.

The US is last — no, not first — among nations in healthcare. We are first in spending, though. Americans spend twice as much (nearly $7,300 per person) as residents of other countries for the same healthcare. But our healthcare is lower quality, less efficient, and accessible to far fewer people (meaning less equity). We are also subjected to the most unsafe care.

So, for those who cringe at the thought of British, or Canadian, or German healthcare, know this: you’d be better of with it. Healthcare in the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand also ranks higher than US healthcare. This is no surprise to healthcare experts. As The Commonwealth Fund report states, “”The lower the performance score for equity, the lower the performance on other measures. This suggests that, when a country fails to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, it also fails to meet the needs of the average citizen.”

My only beef with the report is it doesn’t measure Switzerland’s healthcare in relation to other developed nations. While the Swiss healthcare system uses a more expensive model than any other nation save the US, it could at least provide a template for the US to get serious about developing some sort of healthcare system.

What can you do, given the US’ ongoing poor healthcare performance? Be your own best advocate. Never check into a hospital or surgery center alone; always have someone there to monitor care and keep you safe. Question your doctor if s/he suggests surgery or any other procedure — the less you come in contact with error-prone and largely unproven medical procedures, the safer you are. Finally, if you possibly can, stay insured. Otherwise you may find yourself on the receiving end of a bankrupting bill for receiving substandard care.

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