Black Holes, Desperate Measures, and Common Sense

The US health care spends 13% of our GDP on health care7 upwards of $1.1 trillion, or consumption at the rate of $130,000,000/hr. These exorbitant costs would be borne with gratitude, if they equated into a superior health status. However, our health status has sunk to 24th in the world. Clearly, a change would be beneficial, both in term of health status and health expenditures.

I submit that it is the orientation of our health care system that is the root of the problemy and that all of the headlines are but symptoms of this underlying fact: we treat dead and dying people. We do not keep people well. An increased emphasis on public health could fundanlentally alter the landscape of our health care system and the health status of our population.

The ideal health care system is designed around the principle of optimising incentives for patients? providers, and payers to produce cost-effective health care and maximum health.

This system will be financed through a combination of taxes and insurance premiums, and will be organized around a system of regional health service areas, which are not-for-profit and have accountability for the health and health care of their residents. The ideal health care system is incomplete and inadequate without an accompanying ideal public health system. This system will be financed through taxes on products proven to be detrimental to health.

As public health becomes increasingly effective, our disease burden should lessen and the needs of the health care system also.

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