I am continuously baffled when I experience the disconnect between the data and facts presented in this article, and the hue and cry by those many who defend our current health care system. Case in point: the data cited in this New York Times article. Make sure you click on the graphics and absorb the data. And if there are salient points missing that would reveal flaws in the article or this comment, please add a comment.

As a consumer, provider and employer – it is obvious that the return on investment in our health care system pales relative to our friends in Canada, France, Germany and Britain. Only the latter of these four to my knowledge has a system of government-employed physicians. The others have systems of government pricing controls for the private sector providers.

The annual inflation that we experience in health care is unsustainable and puts the US at a competitive disadvantage internationally. It is a major drag on employment as many employers focus in part on rising benefits cost as a reason to not hire more positions. And it is obvious that money that might go in the pockets of employees in the form of raises, or consumers in the form of lower costs, are going into the rising costs of health care premiums for employers.

That many who defend the current system are one pink slip away from no employer coverage, and that few could afford to pay the cost of a private policy, seems to escape the minds or vision of many.

So merrily we march forward, with persistent demonization of those who would dare point out that this problem is not going away.

There are many fine examples of systems that fundamentally work in terms of care delivery, quality of care, health outcomes, and cost of care. Adopting any will entail trade-offs in terms of quantity and access, but on balance would be a marked improvement over our very sick system. Read more…