Health care and consumerism - the age paradox
On a recent Leadership St. Louis weekend we learned about some of the problems of health care. Touring health facilities (the photo is part of our class on the St. Louis University heliport), h
earing from the head of one of the region’s crown jewels the Missouri Foundation for Health, and talking with others who are actively tackling health care issues in the region.
As a country the US uses 17% of its GDP for health care. Canada in contrast spends on 9.5%. Yet for all of this expense over 16% of our citizens are uninsured (based on a 2005 report, this percentage has increased significantly during the current recession). Yet we have poorer health outcomes than countries that spend much less.
With the consumer model (which I have previously derided), health care is something that one can never get enough of. Why shouldn’t I get the newest treatment, the most expensive drugs, the more elaborate tests, receive the most aggressive (experimental and/or expensive) care which will not improve my eventual outcome. The US health system based on this "it’s all about me" approach. If you have money you can have care. If not tough. If you are over 65 you can have socialized medicine. If you are younger tough. (The fact that government health insurance is great for folks over 65 and bad for people younger than that is one of the great stupidities of our country.)
It is time that we abandon the consumer model of health care and adopt a citizen’s model. Instead of how can I get the most (not necessarily the best) care for me. The question is how can we as a group best support and improve our health. Instead of how can this insurance/health care corporation makes the most money for it’s share holders. The question is how can we provide the best health care for all.