"Best health care system in the world" Yeah right! (deaths, insurance)
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The report, titled "Deadly Delivery," notes that the likelihood of a woman's dying in childbirth in the U.S. is five times as great as in Greece, four times as great as in Germany and three times as great as in Spain. Every day in the U.S., more than two women die of pregnancy-related causes, with the maternal mortality ratio doubling from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 births in 2006.
...
"In the U.S., we spend more than any country on health care, yet American women are at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than in 40 other countries," says Nan Strauss, the report's co-author, who spent two years investigating the issue of maternal mortality worldwide. "We thought that was scandalous."
Quote:
Obstacles to care are widespread, even though the US A spends more on health care than any other country and more on pregnancy and childbirth-related hospital costs, $86 billion, than any other type of hospital care.
Nearly 13 million women of reproductive age (15 to 44), or one in five, have no health insurance. Minorities account for just under one-third of all women in the US A (32 percent) but over half (51 percent) of uninsured women.
One in four women do not receive adequate prenatal care, starting in the first trimester. The number rises to about one in three for African American and Native American women.
Burdensome bureaucratic procedures in Medicaid enrollment substantially delay access to vital prenatal care for pregnant women seeking government-funded care.
A shortage of health care professionals is a serious obstacle to timely and adequate care, especially in rural areas and inner cities. In 2008, 64 million people were living in "shortage areas" for primary care (which includes maternal care).
Many women are not given a say in decisions about their care and the risks of interventions such as inducing labor or cesarean sections. Cesarean sections make up nearly one-third of all deliveries in the USA – twice as high as recommended by the World Health Organization.
The number of maternal deaths is significantly understated because of a lack of effective data collection in the USA.
Still think we have the "best health care system in the world"?
shortage of health care professionals is a serious obstacle to timely and adequate care, especially in rural areas and inner cities. In 2008, 64 million people were living in "shortage areas" for primary care (which includes maternal care).
and this will get only worse with government or singlepayer
"In the U.S., we spend more than any country on health care, yet American women are at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than in 40 other countries," says Nan Strauss, the report's co-author
“Good maternal care should not be considered a luxury available only to those who can access the best hospitals and the best doctors. Women should not die in the richest country on earth from preventable complications and emergencies," said Larry Cox.
"Mothers die not because the United States can't provide good care, but because it lacks the political will to make sure good care is available to all women," said Larry Cox
From Amnesty Internationals Campaign Demand Dignity:
"US failure to embrace economic, social and cultural rights results directly in a domestic health system that skews maternal health care away from the poorest communities."
"Amnesty International will use this as an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with governments on the measures they should be taking nationally to ensure that economic, social and cultural rights are enforceable and that victims have access to effective remedies."
Wow, great unbiased story and study you got there.
Are these the same researchers working with the scientists in Coppenhagen?
and this will get only worse with government or singlepayer
Our shortage of doctors mostly has to do with an artificial barrier.
Currently there is a cap on the number of doctors the United States we can produce.
We also lose out on doctors because the cost of medical school is so high. There is no reason we can't expand the program where the government forgives student loans in exchange for working in a certain area for a few years.
To get more general practitioners (which we need more of), the government can arrange to pay for the person's medical training and give them a bonus of say $50-75K a year. Sure it won't completely close the gap between specialists and general practitioners but it's a start.
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