The Health Care Crisis
In spite of countless health care reform efforts over many decades, uneven outcomes and quality, frequent errors, and high and rising costs continue to plague the U.S. and countries around the globe. The status quo is untenable, and everyone—providers, health plans, employers, governments, and most of all, patients—will suffer if we fail to fundamentally change our approach to health care delivery.
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High & Rising Costs
Figure #1Figure #1High & Rising Costs
$10,209represents the per capita spending on health care in the US in 2017 - the highest of any nation in the world17.2%of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the U.S. went to health care in 2017 - the highest share of GDP of any nation in the world -
Outcomes Need to Improve
Figure #2Figure #2Outcomes Need to Improve
78.6yrsis the US life expectancy which is lower than many nations who spend far less on health care5.9deathsper 1000 births is the US infant mortality rate which is higher than many nations spending far less on thealth care. -
Variability Plagues the Health Care Delivery System
Figure #3Figure #3Variability Plagues the Health Care Delivery System
12-foldVariation in postoperative sepsis rates across the 34 OECD nations.40-foldVariation in charges for a hip replacement at U.S. hospitals
The Solution: Improving Value For Patients
Solving our health care crisis begins with getting all stakeholders to agree on a single overarching goal: improving health outcomes for patients while controlling the costs to deliver that care. Competition has failed in health care for the simple reason that it is based upon entirely wrong metrics. We must reorient health care around value for patients, rather than current drivers like volume of care, procedures, geography, or the discounts negotiated by insurers. Only then can we create a system that delivers sustained improvements in health outcomes and efficiency.
