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Americans Pay Too Much for Mediocre Health Care
Sometimes first isn't best. Take health care, for example. In a recent report by a research group called the Commonwealth Fund, the United States spends more on health care than any other country in the world. But according to the report, the quality of our care doesn't match the cost.
The news wasn't all bad. There were some areas where things are getting better. Five years ago there were 115 preventable deaths for every 100,000 people. Now there are 110. That's good news. But every other industrialized country has even lower numbers so, even though we're getting better, we're still in last place.
The American health care system is unique in the developed world because, for most people, it's privatized. In other countries, the hospitals and doctors are run by the government and paid for by taxes. In the US, doctors and hospitals take care of people while trying to make a profit.
Supporters of private health care argue that the government isn't good at taking care of people, and that letting people run medicine like a business will make sure they do the best job possible. Supporters of public health care say that everyone should have medicine, even if they can't pay for it and that private health insurance costs too much. This latest report is sure to give both sides plenty to debate.
I'm Ben and that's what happened in our nation this week. Do you think the US government should run our health care system instead of private business? Sound off in this week's Call Out.
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